FIRMLY PLANTED â—½ ENCOURAGEMENT
A tiny spider lives under the window sill next to my kitchen sink. I really don’t mind a few harmless tiny spiders in the house—after all, they catch flies, gnats, and other unwanted, generally small, insects. Usually, I’m not even aware of them hiding under the sill or in the corner out of sight; but the June bug wriggling on its back, caught in a web, got my attention.
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Along with my morning coffee I got a glimpse of the natural fight to survive: spider vs. bug. The June bug—gargantuan compared to the tiny black spider—was waving its legs as it tried to escape the sticky snare. The spider was trying to haul it up the three inches from the counter to wrap it in its web underneath the sill; but the June bug was too big and heavy for the strength of that tiny spider.
Intrigued, I watched for a while and then was even more fascinated as I realized the spider was actually strategizing. I saw her release some silk from her “silk-releaser”, moving down to attach it to the bug, then climb up to attach it to the sill to strengthen her net. She repeated this several times. I imagined her miniscule brain calculating her moves. How many silk threads would it take to encapsulate this juicy meal?
I was curious how this would turn out, but it was a slow process, so I set my phone in a position to record it and went on about my day. After some reading and prayer, I went out to the garden. Two hours later I checked progress: the June bug was only about ¼ inch above the counter. My phone’s battery was low, so I stopped recording and left to do some errands. I would see just how successful this determined little spider was in lifting the weight of her prey when I got back.
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On my way home I stopped to visit a friend who told me a story that I didn’t think much about until later. She had a huge pecan tree removed from her yard. The flat stump left in the ground was at least three and a half feet across. Pecan wood is beautiful, used by craftsmen to make furniture, which the cutting crew intended to do. In order to have large pieces of lumber to work with, they cut the trunk into large sections. She described and showed me pictures of three men struggling to get this enormous tree trunk into a trailer to haul it off. They tried various methods to move it, pull it, push it, roll it, load it, and keep it from tipping the trailer. Finally, after several attempts and two or three hours, they managed to haul it away.
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The reason I had visited this friend in the first place leads to one more story that I’ll try to condense: About a year ago I went to an orthopedic doctor after months of shoulder pain. After an X-ray and some physical therapy that wasn’t helpful, I quit PT and just gave it time. It was getting better on its own until my hand began to go numb at night. After a couple months my hand began to tingle and felt like it was on fire, waking me up and keeping me from sleep. After a week of this I was desperate for immediate relief. I stopped to ask if she had a recommendation because she’s one of those people who usually has an answer. She suggested I wear a hand brace at night. To my great relief, it worked! Two days later I saw an acupuncturist who told me the nerve in my right arm was constricted in three places. It originated with my hurt shoulder as a result of moving or carrying heavy objects.
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Guilty. I used to cut branches with a very long pruner. Trying to balance something twice my height over my head put a strain on my shoulder. Heavy objects? How about rocks, concrete stepping stones, and forty-pound sacks of birdseed? Well, one must do what one must do…
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Leaving the acupuncturist appointment, my thoughts returned to the tiny spider and the men struggling with the log. Is God trying to tell me something…? Light shone on a common thread: each of us was trying to manage a heavy burden in some way. Jesus’ words—Come to me all who are heavy-laden and I will give you rest—came to mind. I needed to hear that. News of wars, rumors of wars, famine, disasters, and evil are a push of a button away. It’s easy to worry and fear what tomorrow may bring. While I must deal with physical burdens at times and learn how to manage without hurting myself, I don’t need to carry the burden of the world on my shoulders. That is far heavier than rocks and birdseed and can have more serious, though often hidden, consequences such as depression, worry, fear, and negativity.
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As God does, he reminded me of a truth that is impacting my life. I’m more mindful of what I do, of carrying heavy objects, and have found a wonderful helper for hire. I’m more aware of my limitations and try not to over-do. As I hear disturbing news, I remember the world is his burden to carry and I’m only responsible for my part. Even for that I can depend on Jesus, the one who offers to carry my burdens, for help.
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Oh…and the spider—when I got home the June bug was still only ¼ inch of the way up, the spider had given up trying to carry that heavy burden and was busy feasting on it right where it was.