Risky Living

I stretched my hand carefully through the thorny tangle of bramble stems, focused on the plump berries deep within. I noticed the sticky web just before plunging through it, and drew back as I saw the brown striped spider scurrying away to the edge. I’d have to find another way to reach those berries, and as I considered, I noticed the spider’s dilemma: a succulent insect struggled, caught on his web, and I could imagine the spider salivating, if indeed spiders can salivate! We were both on hold as we considered the risk to gather our tasty morsel.

Sometimes it is easy to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’. Other times there are things in the way, risks we must take, temptations we must resist in order to gather in the nourishment he provides.

Black holes into Gold Mines

Our persistent eight-legged interloper was back in the shower the other night. So I dropped the marge tub on top of him for Don to remove later. I’m becoming quite blasé about it all.

We both forgot about him until the next morning. I was concerned he would have died, deprived of oxygen, and thought a quick death by vacuum would have been more humane. Don turned over the tub to discover – he’d filled the tub with a web.

Trapped, he’d got busy making something which could trap other victims, or perhaps protect him.

Some victims make other victims. Sometimes they may do it as a means of self-protection, of masking their own vulnerability and woundedness.

Some victims make a healing balm for others.

Paul wrote that the bad things we suffer in life can strengthen and equip us to encourage and help others. It’s the taking God into the pain and trusting him with the healing that transforms a victim into a victor.

May I trust God enough to transform my black holes into goldmines of his light. For his glory.