Summer was over on Monday, and fall began again as the calendar tells us.  Different areas experience different weather during this season, but there are a couple of things that all locals have in common. The days get shorter, and spiders come out in full force. On mornings like we have had recently, the dew has been heavy, and the spider webs vibrantly glisten in the sunlight, displaying the intricate patterns which seem impossible for something so small to create in just one night, yet they do so.

Arachnids are not my favorite creatures, but I am not afraid of them. Like everything on our beautiful planet, spiders are one of God’s creatures.  Often, we think, what are they good for?  Why would God have created such a thing?   I don’t want them crawling on me, but I find them fascinating to observe.  Actually, we all could probably stand to learn a few things from them. 

Spiders are industrious, efficient, meticulous, patient and tenacious.  They are industrious, efficient and meticulous in the fast and furious manner they fashion their webs with flawless precision in their design. They are patient in their ability to dangle in their web for hours, waiting to catch that unsuspecting insect in their lair.  Spiders are tenacious in their capacity to immediately commence operation on a new web if their old one is destroyed.

The lessons we could learn from these creatures would aid us in the ability to accomplish great things for our communities. If we were as industrious and efficient as the spider, we could undertake works for the greater good of our world.  In doing so, imagine the amazing things we could bring about.  If we worked meticulously on these tasks, making them for God’s glory, imagine the benefits we could provide for those in need.  If we were as patient with others as the dangling spider is waiting in his web, imagine how much kinder we would be to each other.  If we were tenacious enough to continue to work on what is upright and virtuous in spite of encountering problems along the way, imagine how much we could achieve for our world. 

We can learn from everything, even the spider, if we open our minds to the opportunities presented to us.  God’s loves us unconditionally and wants us to love others as he has loved us.  Learning from the lowly spider, using our God-given talents and gifts and working as the spider does, we can show our love for others through our industrious, efficient, meticulous, patient and tenacious labors. 

This being said, I have yet to figure out what purpose the mosquito serves.  Ideas, anyone?

Patty