Many times heavier than themselves

In a book our daughter and i have been reading again lately, Der Wald (The Forest), this line (among other things) is really striking:  

Diese kleinen Tiere [Ameisen] sind Schwerstarbeiter.  Sie können Lasten tragen, die viele Male schwerer sind als sie selbst."
("These small animals [ants] are Hardest Workers.  They can carry burdens that are many times heavier than themselves."  - my fairly literal translation)

This is how i feel with my current work to finish my master's degree, mostly in the process of writing long, dry, academic papers.  The classes have been fun, and relatively easy, since they've been by and large interactive and rich in dealing with people, but slogging on through papers I don't necessarily care about that much is tough.  One of the worst aspects is having to stare at a computer screen for long periods of time, especially when the weather is warm and summery outside.  But i am nearly finished.

Recently after working downtown and just before getting on the bus home, this little guy was staggering around near my feet.  The photo came out a little blurry, but you should still be able to see the black dot which is an ant at the bottom of a butterfly or moth wing he's trying to carry there.  He wasn't doing too well, or at least he didn't cover a lot of ground while i was watching him.  But there he was and he kept trying.

A theme that has been coming up in a lot of films i have been seeing and things i have been reading lately is the idea that there are lots of forces at work around us which are much larger and more powerful than we are.  And often some of these forces show up in the things that at first glance seem small, but on closer examination are huge.  How does the ant know what to do?  How does the seed sprout and grow into a delicious, edible plant?  How do we finally make it from point A to point B?  How are our needs ultimately provided for?  Why are we losing sight of stars in the night sky to light pollution and what effect is that having on us?  How do we breathe clean(er) air?  How do we breathe?  Many people are asking these types of questions, but not many of them are looking toward spiritual answers.

"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."

...

“Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces."

...

And for the intrepid some of the context of the latter excerpt:

"I am weary, God, but i can prevail. Surely i am only a brute, not a man; i do not have human understanding. I have not learned wisdom, nor have i attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.  Who has gone up to heaven and come down?  Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?  Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His Name, and what is the Name of His Son?  Surely you know! Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.  Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.  Two things i ask of You, Lord; do not refuse me before i die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, i may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’  Or i may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.  Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.  There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;  those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;  those whose eyes are ever so haughty,  whose glances are so disdainful;  those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.  The leech has two daughters.  ‘Give! Give!’ they cry.  There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’ The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that i do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman."