| Begin or End each week with a Meaningful Inspiration. |
ITSY BITSY SPIDER by Tim Knappenberger |
Sitting on my deck the other morning, I
happened to catch sight of a very, very small spider
sitting on the handle of my coffee cup. The adventuresome
arachnid, no bigger than the head of a pin, was launching
him/herself off the edge of the cup and parachuting down
to the table top below using the invisible strand it
trailed behind itself. Back up its "life line"
it scurried, only to repeat the routine again and again
as it went about the task of creating a web. My coffee
cup hadn’t been resting in that spot for very long,
yet already, this industrious insect was well on its way
to constructing its new home, nearly having completed the
screened in porch and Jacuzzi in only a matter of
minuets. As I prepared to clean up the table and take my
things in the house, I gently blew my little 8-legged
contractor off of the web, on to the table, and
undoubtedly in search of another new homesite. How like that little spider we are. How often do we look for firm anchors in life to which we secure our webs of routine, security, and fortune. Maybe our rock solid foundation is the romantic love of our lives; the one person who we’re sure shall never betray, hurt or leave us. Possibly it’s the career we’ve prepared a lifetime for; the perfect position that required years of education and preparation. Sometimes it’s our tight, finely honed set of principles and beliefs to which we’ve staked the surety of our present and the hope of our future. Rock solid, unshakable, immovable, permanent. From my little spider friend’s perspective, my coffee cup was enormous. Had s/he been able to gather 100 of its closest siblings together, collectively they would have been unable to budge my mug one inch. What better place to put down roots, catch a few gnats, and live the good life! However, from my perspective, I could see that all of the spider’s best efforts and sincere spinning would soon come to naught. As firm as the spider viewed its foundation, I saw just how temporary the whole arrangement was. A gentle puff of air and an effortless move of my hand changed the spider’s plans forever. If my perspective, in relation to that of the spider’s, is akin to God’s perspective in relation to us, maybe there are somethings to be learned. What we deem worthy of building a life upon, may be nothing more than a temporary fixture in our existence. There one minute; gone the next. Did the spider first consult me before diving into its project? Do we first consult God before diving into our own? Out of respect and concern for this smallest of creatures, I gently destroyed the work of its hands (legs?) so that I could preserve the worker, allowing it to move on to a better, hopefully more secure foundation. Does God ever allow our worlds to move and shake, dislocating our ordered "webs" so that we’re forced to move on to better, more secure places within His will? As far as I’m aware, my little spider did not curse and moan his fate. Though s/he had no knowledge of my role in the shake-up, it didn’t raise an angry fist to heaven nor did it attempt to return to the same plan. It simply made a beeline for the next available piece of patio furniture and began re-ordering its life. Given God’s assurances to us that He works everything together for good to those who love Him, should we find our foundation abruptly pulled out from underneath us, might it not be the loving and gentle moving of our Savior’s hand re-locating us to a better, safer, more secure place? May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us-- yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalms 90:17 - NIV) |
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| As you do not
know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a
mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God,
the Maker of all things. What does a man get for all the
toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the
sun? A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink
and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is
from the hand of God, (Eccles 11:5; 2:22, 24 - NIV) |
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Send a note to Tim Knappenberger at: knapp@raex.com
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