Friday, May 28, 2010

Itsy Bitsy Spider with a Message



Walking out onto my patio the other morning , I noticed a little clump hanging in mid air against my railing. It was a group of tiny creatures, so tiny I could not see what they were.


I ran for my camera
They were not as asleep , not as oblivious to the world around them as they first appeared. The movement of my camera lens spooked them and they scattered -- each held securely by the web invisible to my eyes.

With the help of zoom technology I was able to magnify the tiny creatures to see what they looked like. Google helped me identify them as baby Garden Spiders - also called the Yellow Orb Spider.
Now curious about them .. I did a little research. (NOT that I'm fond of spiders!)

I quickly learned the grown Garden Spiders have no desire to come into the house and they eat flying insects that harm plants. Ok.. those bits of info saved their lives -- for now and from me

I did, however, find out something VERY mysterious about the Garden Spider - and recognized a lesson tucked into the pages of God's creation.

I learned there is a mystery surrounding the life of these Garden Spiders - a mystery unsolved by science.

No one knows what happens in the life cycle of the Garden Spider between the stage I captured in my photos and the full grown spider in its two foot web. They just seem to disappear one day while they are still babies until one morning there is the adult spider resplendent in its spun web.

(and yes... I watched my 'orb' of spiders for several days. They never moved from their place, until one morning they were gone, leaving not a trace behind except for the almost invisible web! )

I thought about how they portray mysterious spiritual truths.

There are spiritual mysteries that can only be understood by faith because we do not see and therefore cannot explain how it can be.

Do we understand how someone can be 'born again' into God's family?
One minute we see a sinner, and the next a child of God !! What happened in the in between process ??
The work of the Holy Spirit is mysterious , working what we cannot see.

Joh 3:8 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

We all love weddings -- we wait for the moment when the bride and groom will be declared to be husband and wife.
Again, what a beautiful mystery .. One man and one woman who become one.

Mar 10:8 "AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh."

We believe it -- but do we see the process ? no!

We see someone alive in their physical body .... and then suddenly the body is only a shell , the person has flown away.
We believe that they are still alive - in another dimension, in another place with s spiritual body.
But did we see the process in between? no .. it happens outside our physical realm.

2Co 5:7,8 "For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. "

I love how God has tucked into His creation examples that inspire us with renewed faith - to help us -through physical things - to believe the invisible things of God's kingdom.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh! I love learning about God's beautiful nature. I do not mind spiders myself (except for being in my bed or shower!). Thanks for the lesson about the garden spider and relating it to God's word.

Karin said...

Excellent post! I'm always full of wonder and in awe of our Creator!

Kathy said...

I am always amazed at how God gives you a parallel to His Word through nature. I have also been amused at those little clumps of spiders..here one day gone the next. I have learned something here today. Kathy

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

What fascinating spiders (not that I like them any more than you do)! And your extrapolation of lessons in faith is wonderful. I'll certainly remember it the next time I see a spider.

Betty W said...

Who would have though a little spider could teach us something? I´m always amazed how you find "lessons" for us, in the most surprising places. :)
Great post!

ellen b. said...

I loved learning about those garden spiders Julie and the reminders of truths and mysteries of God.

Betty said...

Neat story Julie on the garden spiders..interesting story although I am not overly fond of spiders either. I know that they do a great job so I tolerate them..smile
I appreciated the reminder that the workings of the Holy Spirit are mysterious.

Sandy said...

God's Word is full of hidden truths. We only have to dig a little and find them...Nuggets of Hidden Treasure...
Thanks for your gift of uncovering nuggets and then sharing them. And all because of a little cluster of garden spiders....
Love ya,
Sandy

Anneliese said...

You captured some amazing photos there, Julie! And, as alwasy, you were able to find some spiritual application. Isn't it interesting how the world is held together ... it could be by none other than our Creator Himself.

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

The yellow orb spider was the HUGE spider type that "hung around" in the forests of Houston. They really are well mannered spiders; they stay as a couple (female in the center, male a bit smaller and off center) on the web, intent on catching flying insects and other bugs. After seeing your pictures I can now see why the woods had hundreds of them! Keep a sharp eye out in your garden this summer for the beautiful full grown version!

Gina said...

God's world has so much to teach us! You demonstrated how we just need eyes to see and minds to look for the lessons He shares!

Thanks!
Gina

Barbara Nosek said...

OK, 'fessing up, not quite the topic of the day. Found your site in Nancy Rogers' recipe newsletter and loved it enough to start a new feature on my "Celebrity Chef Connection" Blog, also picked up a few pix and hope that's OK. Had intended to email this but couldn't find a way to do that (age challenged). Will post 07.06 in the pm, PDT. Barbara J. Nosek, www.celebritychefconnection.com