We drive the winding roads down the mountain, arriving at the spot we fell in love with last summer. Rocks and rivers may be the norm for people in this part of North Carolina, but we live in flat, marshy Florida. To us, this landscape is spectacular, a wonder and a gift.
After carving out our own parking spot on the side of the mountain road, we step down the embankment. I pause, and I listen to the wondrous sound of the fresh-flowing water. We have toddler in tow. Her adventurous spirit forbids her from being left behind, but I am. The water is freezing and rocks slippery and my cautious spirit forbids me to take the plunge. I look for a better way through.
I study and chart out the course in my mind. This rock to that rock. A short step in the shallow pooled water. I can do this. Of course, this blogger has her camera in hand. I try to avoid broken bones and a broken camera.
The family is well ahead of me. I snap a few pictures. They give-up on beckoning me to come. I do try to, ever so carefully. I lay my hand on the cleft of a rock to hold my balance. It’s barely a second before I pull it swiftly back. I gasp in panic, “SPIDER!” Then I see, just inches away, there in the cleft of the rock, is a big black spider whose legs could easily span the palm of my hand. Although, I did not invite him on, so I could measure.
My heart beats hard from the nearness of my hand to such a creature. It pounds harder for the reality of the prompting in my heart just seconds before I even saw the spider. Poisonous? Deadly? I don’t know what defense the Creator gave him in order to save his live from attack, but the Creator, Himself, is my defense.
I ponder about the sheer size of it, and my knees quake at the thought of being bit. I could’ve lost more than my footing and my camera. I am sobered by this near miss. I am grateful. I am reminded how important it is to hear His voice. So, I seized this moment to teach. I have been reading to children from the very first Christian non-fiction book I ever read
One of the most important things to teach children is how to hear the Voice of God. <—Tweetable, eh?
I brought them near the cleft in the rock to show them the spider. After their shock, I continued the story and was able to add —
You see, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4) His Voice, His Word sustains our life and also saves our life. This is why we are to guard our hearts. This is why it’s so important to stand as watchmen over your eye gates and ear gates. To be sensitve to the Spirit’s callings you have to leave quiet room for His voice.
Like eating a Snickers bar before dinner, the world’s media can be empty calories that fill up so your souls like your bellies, and not have room for the true Bread of Life and the meat of His Word. To live in this world, but not of it, you need eyes that see and ears that hear God’s Voice — hear what the Spirit is saying.
“So He can save you from spiders,” one pipes in.
“Yes, so He can save you from spiders, and so much more.”
Still Counting Gifts…
There are oh, so many gifts to count this week from our vacation to North Carolina. Here are some, and the rest you can click here to find in pictures and words.
#635-639
Winding mountain roads.
Stately rocks
Flowing rivers.
Hearing God’s voice — even if to save us from spiders.
Teachable moments.
Click here for #640-665.
