We got some sun today, after a few days of rain. I just had to get outside & soak up some sun. I was looking at the rose bush, when I noticed my spider. I say "my" spider because I let her live. I noticed her for the first time in May. I decided to let her live, because she kept the bag bugs off the rose bush. See, I feel that any bug who crosses my path was put there by God, because it must have been the bug's time to die. (I kill all bugs in my path, especially spiders.)
I've watched my spider over the last few months. She used to be a bright green. She's eaten anything from beetles to bees. Some days she's big, some days skinny. Now, she guards her egg sack & she is kinda brown. She's getting old.
The Big Picture. When I saw my spider today, & thought to myself that she is alive because of my good grace (I could have squashed her long ago), it made me think of my relationship with my Creator. I'm alive today because of God's grace. God could have squashed me long ago. In fact, if I were God, I would have squashed me. It's a good thing I'm not God!
I guess I need a reminder on perspective once in awhile.
"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." James 4:14 NAS
"What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations. Oh, look—the deep, wide sea, brimming with fish past counting, sardines and sharks and salmon. Ships plow those waters, and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them. All the creatures look expectantly to you to give them their meals on time. You come, and they gather around; you open your hand and they eat from it. If you turned your back, they'd die in a minute— Take back your Spirit and they die, revert to original mud; Send out your Spirit and they spring to life— the whole countryside in bloom and blossom." Ps. 104:24 MSG
my spider guarding her egg sack
After I took the picture of my spider, I went to play with Abbie in her sand box, & promptly squashed a tiny black widow spider who had been living in the wheel well of her toy dump truck. No, I didn't take a picture of it first. It was time for it to die. ha ha
Abbie playing in her sand box
Then Jim installed the second swing on the "playground" & took a picture of Abbie & I swinging.
Abbie & Mamma swinging
Comments Posted on FB:
Diana Lynn Scott at 5:32pm September 27
Your spider! Never thought I'd hear that out of your mouth!I'm proud of you. For letting it live . It is outside that's better than inside!I know it's life would not have been spared, had it found it's way in!Thank you for the "what bugs me" insight. You are a very good writer!Keep it up! :) Love you all
Pamela J Meeker at 9:59pm September 27
Actually, my spider did make it inside one day. I had cut some roses off the bush & brought them inside to put in a vase. As I was trimming the ends off, my spider jumped off a rose! (She usually hangs out underneath a bloom & waits for an unsuspecting bug to land-then she pounces--I've watched.) Of course I freaked out! After my heart stopped pounding & the echoes of my scream had settled, I scooped up my spider with a fly swatter & carried her back outside to the rose bush. You can be sure, every time I cut a bloom now, I check underneath for my spider first! Oh, I forgot to tell you--the black-eyed susan is blooming again! Does it usually bloom in June & September?
Alan Meeker at 11:44pm September 27
I think I would get a different pet.
I think I would get a different pet.
Lindy Meeker at 11:46pm September 27
Does your spider have a name?
Does your spider have a name?
Pamela J Meeker at 11:01pm September 28
Sorry Lindy, my spider doesn't have a name. I saw her again today when I was cutting some blooms. She was guarding with her egg sack under a dead rose. I almost cut it off (I cut off the dead ones), but looked before I snipped. I allowed her to live another day. Praise God, He allowed me to live another day, too.
Sorry Lindy, my spider doesn't have a name. I saw her again today when I was cutting some blooms. She was guarding with her egg sack under a dead rose. I almost cut it off (I cut off the dead ones), but looked before I snipped. I allowed her to live another day. Praise God, He allowed me to live another day, too.
Pamela J Meeker at 3:51pm October 12
We have some sun today. I checked on my spider. She's still alive & guarding her egg sack. Don't know how much longer she'll last. Hmmm...how long will I last? Think I'll go get some sun while it lasts.
We have some sun today. I checked on my spider. She's still alive & guarding her egg sack. Don't know how much longer she'll last. Hmmm...how long will I last? Think I'll go get some sun while it lasts.
April Harrison at 10:14am October 19
Ahhhhh. I love your notes! This one is exactly the sort of perspective I look for in the world :) We sort of think alike...maybe like family or something ;)
Pamela J Meeker at 7:41pm October 20
I checked on my spider today. Her babies have hatched. I saw a number of them crawling around the egg sack. My spider was there, too. I poked her. She didn't move very fast (as she usually does.) She probably won't last much longer. Life is short. Make it count.
Pamela J Meeker at 3:54pm October 27
Saw my spider today. She still seems to be doing pretty good. She's wrapped about 3 dead rose blooms with web. He egg sack is in there too, although I saw baby spiders around the web last week. What's up with that? I'll keep checking on her & posting updates as long as the good weather lasts.
Pamela J Meeker at 4:13pm November 19
Well, the good weather has gone. We actually had a bit of snow yesterday-not much-it didn't stick. (THIS IS NORTH CAROLINA!!! WE'RE NOT 'SPOSE TO HAVE SNOW!)
I checked on my spider last Monday (Nov.10th) & she was still alive & movin' slow. Today (Nov. 19th) I checked on her--she's gone. It was her time. She had a long & happy life, as far as spiders go. She caught & ate all the beetles & even some large bees on the rose bush, & she had babies. Maybe one of her descendants will roam the rose bush next spring. I know I'll be checking under every bud before I clip, from now on.
~Ode to My Spider~
Translucent green, her delicate frame
played silk into a deadly game
around winged insects as they sipped
unmindfull that chelicerae dipped
into their life, and drained it on
a crimson rose of perfection,
until with time her color shifted--
brown of death,
farewell, arachnid.
