The Aunts Lesson – By Ruth Phonix Rising Moise
Introduction: When Life Feels Like a Dead End
Every morning at 5 AM, my eyes open in a place I never imagined I’d be—incarcerated, separated from my two beautiful children, living with the weight of choices that brought me here. I’m not going to sugarcoat it or pretend this journey has been easy. But what I’ve learned behind these walls has transformed my perspective on life, work, resilience, and the power of small consistent actions.
Today, I want to share a profound lesson that came from the most unexpected teacher: a tiny ant carrying a potato chip across the dayroom floor during visitation with my daughter. This small creature taught me more about perseverance, purpose, and God’s grace than any motivational speech ever could.
If you’re reading this from a place of struggle—whether you’re facing incarceration, addiction, poverty, depression, or simply feeling stuck in life—I pray my words reach your heart and remind you that your current circumstances don’t define your future.
The Struggle is Real: My Daily Reality
Let me be honest with you. I’m tired. Every single hour of every single day, I’m exhausted. The emotional weight of being separated from my children, the physical demands of prison life, and the mental battle of maintaining hope when everything feels hopeless—it all takes its toll.
My father used to call me a “sack of lazybones” when I’d hit snooze repeatedly. Even now, when my eyes pop open at 5 AM, I often just look at the time and roll right back over. Those “five more minutes” can easily turn into hours of wasted potential. I wrestle with this constantly.
But here’s what I’ve realized: acknowledging our struggles doesn’t make us weak. It makes us human. And it’s the first step toward transformation.
Finding My Why: Two Hours That Changed Everything
After finally dragging myself out of bed, I spend two hours before 8 AM in what I call my “focus time.” The dayroom becomes my office, where I sit with my pen and paper, writing, thinking, and planning for the future I’m determined to build—not just for me, but for my children who are waiting for their mother to come home.
For a long time, I thought two hours of vigorous work each day was enough. I patted myself on the back for being disciplined, for showing up, for trying. But then came the ant—that tiny, seemingly insignificant creature that would revolutionize my entire mindset about work, persistence, and purpose.
The Ant’s Journey: A Master Class in Perseverance
Picture this: It’s visiting day, and my daughter Doolittle and I are sitting in the dayroom. A child drops a potato chip on the floor, and suddenly, we notice a small ant attempting to transport this piece of food—which to him must have seemed like hauling a mattress—back to his colony.
We became captivated, unable to look away from this miniature drama unfolding before us.
Lesson 1: Work with Purpose, Not for Applause
The first thing that struck me was this ant’s singular focus. He wasn’t looking around for validation. He wasn’t waiting for another ant to come help him. He didn’t give up when the task seemed too big. He just worked.
Meanwhile, we noticed another ant nearby, running around aimlessly near the sugar packets, seemingly busy but accomplishing nothing. This “Mr. Bob,” as we named him, was all activity with no productivity—something I recognized in my own past behavior.
How often had I confused motion with progress? How many times had I stayed “busy” to avoid doing the real, hard work that would actually move my life forward?
The determined ant passed Mr. Bob without even acknowledging him. His mission was clear: get food back to the colony. Feed the family. Complete the task. Period.
Lesson 2: Rest, But Never Quit
Here’s where it got really interesting. About halfway through his journey, the ant stopped. For about 10 seconds, he just rested. My heart sank a little, thinking he might give up.
But instead of abandoning his mission, he adjusted his strategy. He grabbed the chip from a different angle, hoisted it onto his tiny shoulder sideways, and kept moving. In that moment, I heard his little voice (yes, I gave him a voice in my imagination): “I’m going to go feed my family. Somebody’s gotta eat. Give me a promotion today. Somebody’s going to see my effort!”
I laughed, but tears were forming in my eyes. This ant was teaching me that rest isn’t quitting. Adjustment isn’t failure. Sometimes you need to pause, reassess, and find a new approach—but you never give up on what matters.
Lesson 3: The Journey is Longer Than You Think
What looked like maybe seven inches to us was easily five miles in the ant’s world. And just when we thought he might make it, he hit a massive obstacle: a crack in the sidewalk that to him must have seemed like the Grand Canyon.
He tried to cross with his chip. He couldn’t. He explored the edges, looking for a way around. Nothing worked.
My daughter, bless her heart, watched this struggle with such empathy. “Mommy, he’s struggling. Can I push it to the other side of the crack for him?”
“Yes, baby,” I told her. “And God is going to bless you for treating his effort with such care.”
Lesson 4: Sometimes Help Comes When You Need It Most
Here’s the thing—that ant wasn’t giving up. He was looking for help, and we were watching his journey the whole time. He didn’t know we were there, but God did. God saw his effort, his persistence, his refusal to quit.
When my daughter gently pushed that chip across the crack, the ant immediately grabbed it and continued his journey. He probably returned to his colony and told his family about the mysterious “large brown branch” that appeared exactly when he needed it.
Biblical Wisdom: What Solomon Knew About Ants
This experience reminded me of Proverbs 6:6-11, where King Solomon—one of the wisest men who ever lived—tells us to learn from the ant:
“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”
Ouch. That hit me hard because it’s talking directly to me—the woman who loves her “five more minutes” of sleep, who sometimes chooses comfort over calling.
But here’s what Solomon understood: ants are among the hardest-working creatures in the animal kingdom, despite being one of the smallest and most vulnerable. They have no boss standing over them. No supervisor tracking their productivity. No ruler forcing them to work.
They work because it’s necessary for survival. They work because their community depends on them. They work because it’s simply what they do.
The Empire You Can’t Build with Two Hours
That ant’s journey made me realize something crucial: I cannot build an empire with two hours of work per day.
If I want to create a better life for my children, if I want to inspire others to avoid the mistakes I made, if I want to transform my pain into purpose—I need to work like that ant. Consistently. Persistently. With unwavering focus on the goal.
This doesn’t mean working myself to exhaustion or never resting. Remember, the ant rested for 10 seconds. But then he adjusted and kept going.
What God Sees: Your Effort Matters
The most powerful revelation from watching that ant wasn’t just about work ethic—it was about divine providence. God saw that ant’s effort. God saw his struggle. And God provided help at exactly the right moment through my daughter’s compassionate heart.
The same is true for you and me.
When we’re working toward something positive—something that benefits not just ourselves but our community—God sees our effort. He sees our struggles. And He provides help in ways we might not even recognize at first.
Sometimes we pray and pray, and it feels like God isn’t listening. But I’ve learned there are reasons our prayers might not be answered in the way or timing we expect:
- Wrong timing – It’s not the right season to receive the blessing we’re asking for
- Wrong motivation – Our hearts aren’t pure, or we’re asking for selfish reasons
- Wrong understanding – We don’t yet see what God sees about our situation
Scripture backs this up beautifully:
- Psalm 75:6-7 reminds us that promotion comes from God alone
- 1 John 5:14-15 tells us God hears us when we ask according to His will
- James 4:3 explains that we don’t receive when we ask with wrong motives
The Protection We Don’t See
Here’s another powerful part of the story: As we watched that ant’s journey, my daughter and I made sure no one stepped on him. We became his protectors, ensuring he could complete his mission.
How many times has God protected us from dangers we never even saw? How many disasters did He divert? How many “accidents” that almost happened were prevented by His invisible hand?
That ant had no idea two giants were watching over him, ensuring his safety. We have no idea how often God has done the same for us.
Your Current Position Doesn’t Define Your Destination
I write to you today from a prison cell, but I’m not defined by these walls. Yes, I made mistakes—serious ones that cost me my freedom and separated me from my children. I own that. I carry that weight every single day.
But I also know that as long as I’m breathing, God has a plan for me. The same is true for you, wherever you are in your journey.
Maybe you’re struggling with addiction. Maybe you’re facing legal troubles. Maybe you’re dealing with depression, poverty, or relationships that are falling apart. Maybe you feel like you’ve messed up so badly that there’s no redemption available.
I’m here to tell you: That’s a lie.
God loves us at our absolute worst. He doesn’t wait until we get our act together. He meets us in the mess, in the crack in the sidewalk, in the moment when we’re about to give up.
Practical Steps: Working Like an Ant Today
So how do we apply the ant’s wisdom to our daily lives? Here are the principles I’m implementing in my own journey:
1. Start Early, Start Small You don’t need to revolutionize your entire life today. Just get up. Just start. Two hours of focused work is better than zero hours. But don’t stop at two when you’re capable of more.
2. Work with Purpose Know your “why.” For me, it’s my children. It’s proving that mistakes don’t have to be permanent. It’s showing others that transformation is possible. What’s your why?
3. Ignore the Mr. Bobs There will always be people running around looking busy but accomplishing nothing. Don’t compare yourself to them. Keep your eyes on your mission.
4. Rest Strategically Rest isn’t laziness when it’s intentional. Take breaks. Breathe. Pray. But then adjust your approach and keep moving forward.
5. Ask for Help Pride will kill your dreams faster than any obstacle. That ant wasn’t too proud to accept the help that came. Neither should we be.
6. Celebrate Small Victories Every inch forward is progress. Every day you choose differently is a win. Every moment you resist old patterns is worthy of celebration.
7. Trust the Journey You can’t always see the full picture. You don’t know who’s watching, who’s praying for you, or how God is orchestrating circumstances for your breakthrough. Trust the process.
A Message to My Children and Yours
To my beautiful daughter Doolittle and my precious other child: Mommy made mistakes that took her away from you. But Mommy is using this time to become the woman you deserve—someone who works hard, who doesn’t give up, who turns pain into purpose.
When I come home, I’ll be different. Stronger. Wiser. More focused. And I’ll teach you the lessons I learned from that little ant: that size doesn’t determine strength, that circumstances don’t dictate outcomes, and that consistent effort always pays off.
To all the parents reading this who are separated from their children—whether by incarceration, addiction, custody battles, or other circumstances—please hear me: It’s not over. Use this time. Learn. Grow. Transform. Become the parent your children need you to be.
The Crown You’re Wearing
I end every message the same way, and I mean it with my whole heart: Remember, you are unapologetically unique. Don’t let anyone—not society, not your past, not even your own negative thoughts—make you feel any less than that.
You’re wearing a crown even when life has knocked you down. The question is: Will you let fear keep that crown tilted, or will you adjust it and stand tall?
Final Thoughts: The Empire You’re Building
That ant eventually made it home. He fed his colony. His effort was rewarded. His persistence paid off.
The same will be true for us if we commit to the work, trust the process, and refuse to quit.
I’m building an empire from a prison cell—an empire of hope, inspiration, and transformation. It’s not the empire I once imagined, but it’s the one God has called me to build right now, in this place, with these circumstances.
What empire are you building? What mission has God given you? What obstacles are standing between you and your breakthrough?
Remember the ant. Remember his determination, his adaptability, his refusal to give up. Remember that help came exactly when he needed it.
Your help is coming too.
Keep working. Keep believing. Keep moving forward.
With love, peace, and endless blessings,
Ruth Phonix Rising Moise
Connect with Ruth on Instagram and Facebook @UnapologeticallyUnique, or email your story and comments to UnapologeticallyUnique@gmail.com. Her books, including resources for children, are available on Amazon.