November 6, 2008 my life changed. I lost my best friend/lover/husband suddenly to malignant brain tumors. As I watched this patient and kind soul slip out of my hands and into the hands of God, I cried out for His will and He has been directing my path ever since. Although that was a most tragic and wrenching experience, it has also been a reminder for me of how God's will manifests in unimaginable way at the right time.
After the funeral, it truly became "quiet." Everyone returned to their homes; the space between calls of comfort became longer and longer; and the sound of an empty home became deafening. I experienced a lot of pain... pains of loneliness and grief. I really missed Bobby's beautiful smile, his gentle kiss, his smell, his touch. I loved Bobby L. Hill Jr. with as much love as another human could love another. We had such a wonderful flow with each other. We respected one another and had developed a genuine understanding of each other's heart. And now, he was no longer physically with me, and I longed for him.
It really felt like a part of me was missing.
So I often found myself crying out to my Father asking Him to show me what He wanted me to do...to lead me towards the true purpose for my life.
The answer to these questions came from a very unlikely place, and from the one person who knew what truly mattered to me. The answer came from my late husband, Bobby.
During his stay in the hospital, I often found Bobby reading and responding to emails. When he was not talking to me, to his daughter Jamia, to his doctors, to his "mom," or to his family, he was sleeping, writing, listening to music or responding to emails. I'm not sure if he knew time was drawing near or if he just figured there was no need in letting his emails stack up while he was in the hospital. Whatever the reason, the answer to my question came in the form of a 3-word phrase that often found itself in his emails – "God IS Real." Be it to his closest friends or to coworkers that 3-word phrase typically found itself in the body of his correspondence.
After prayers for clarity and visions from the Holy Spirit, the 3 simple words "God IS Real" inspired me to find a way to be a constant reminder to love, to share, to help, to honor, and to praise the wonders around us...and to do these things with the same fervor, tenacity, consistency, and constancy of the ant.
So I, someone who is not an artist, began to try and draw the ant; unfortunately, it did not look like the insect from my vision. Therefore, I decided to speak to Bobby's cousin and told her of my plan, and she directed me to a friend who was an illustrator. We met and I began to share with him about my husband and my vision. As I began to share I told him I believed that God had been orchestrating this for a while.
Marcus, the illustrator, wanted me to elaborate and I shared with him this story: Bobby and I had a problem with ants in our home a couple years back. We worked so very hard to get rid of them but they kept coming back. One day I sat on a stool and placed a few granules of sugar and watched them work. Their consistency, persistence, focus, diligence, team spirit and hard work was inspiring, so much so that I called Bobby at work to tell him about my day observing the ants and that I would not be surprised if they were mentioned in the bible. He, in return, told me he would call me back - he was in a meeting.
Bobby did call me back and told me to go to Proverbs 6:6-8:
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.
When Bobby came home we talked more about the ants. I shared with him that we should work as persistent, consistent, focused, and diligent as the ant in order to get rid of them. We did just that and within 2 weeks we were ant free. While I was talking the illustrator began to draw and create what was nothing more than my vision. We continued to talk and he created the first 3 images of ants praying, praising, and marching.
The graphics were so in line with my vision that I cried, kneeled, and praised the Lord. From there I told Marcus that I believed I was to put these images on t-shirts and mugs along with the reminder that God IS Real. I wanted these items to be a constant reminder in whatever you were doing. From drinking coffee, to running through a crowd, to working out in the gym, to sitting on a beach... I wanted everyone to be reminded of God's presence in all we do in whatever way it interacts with our senses.
Marcus and I began to talk about a vision, but this time it was the vision of where I saw this new possible company going. I told him I wanted to be as large and far-reaching as McDonald's or Starbucks, in that they reach people around the world and the sight of the golden arches is synonymous with McDonalds.
I want the sight of our ant to be synonymous with constant, persistent, love. Marcus felt that a past coworker could help give me insight on the project. His boss' name is Bobby... another confirmation I was on the right path. Bobby helped me with the marketing of the company to assist us in our goal.
This started with creating a tag line for Ant Hill, Inc, and then the creation of the website I hope you're currently visiting or will visit soon.
When my Bobby was in the hospital in Michigan he talked a lot about leaving a legacy. He wanted to do more for others; he wanted to leave something behind that made a difference in the hearts and minds of people today and for generations to come. I hope to live up to this legacy by providing these products that not only serve its immediate purpose, but it also serves the needs of numerous charities, including those related to brain cancer research. A portion of the proceeds for each purchase will be donated to a charity.
Our plan is to provide open access and show you exactly where your money is being used and the amount of money being donated. The information will soon be available on our website.
