My picture is of a back-and-yellow garden spider on a zinnia. She crawled up there and froze while I was taking pictures. This is the first year without seeing these common spiders. They are normally guarding the vegetables, the flower beds and hanging on the chicken coop or beneath the eves of the house. I suspect the tawny crazy ants. I have noticed the ants eating the yellow jacket’s larvae in their paper nests. Crazy ants are very destructive here in my corner of Texas.

Not long ago, I tore a picture out of a magazine and pinned it over my desk. It was of a precious baby pig with the caption, “Always Be On The Lookout For The Presence Of Wonder.” E. B. White wrote those words in his classic book, “Charlotte’s Web.” I took that statement to heart many years ago.

Within days of the picture being placed over my desk, a black-and-yellow garden spider built her web at the top of our dining room windows. “Charlotte” fascinated me from the moment that I noticed her. Dear Reader, the picture and the spider were not a coincidence. It was a hug from the Lord. He loves to share His creation with us.

Watching Charlotte spin her web was amazing. I have crocheted doilies that resemble a spider’s web. She was not crocheting or knitting. She worked from the outer edge to the center. Her web was about two feet wide, but the anchor lines were as long as she needed to reach each anchor-object. One anchor was the hummingbird feeder, which caused the birds to keep a wary eye on her.

Charlotte made a solid circle in the center, that was about two inches wide. She ended with a zigzag at the bottom of the solid circle, as if putting a stem onto a flower. She stayed behind the “flower.” Her web would get covered by tiny insects each night. She would eat them along with her web, and then spin another one.

If a larger bug caught her attention by struggling in the web, she would quickly spin silky threads around it, until it looked like a mummy. She used each of her eight legs to weave the thread that came out of her bottom. The web would become ragged at times, if she had a large bug to feast on, but she was a good housekeeper until the end. She would take the large bugs and eat them behind the flower.

One evening I saved Charlotte from a praying mantis. It was watching her. She drew her legs up and curled into a ball. In trepidation, I went outside and killed that long green bug. Afterwards, I wondered if God approved of my interference. My conscience did not bother me, so I know He understood why I protected her.

Spiders are truly creepy to me, but Charlotte lives on in my heart. The detail the Creator put into that arachnid had me praising Him. I also thanked Him for sharing His handiwork with me. When God lets us know that He is aware of what we are doing, we should quickly thank Him. He must have designed us to appreciate the worlds He created, because so many people do. Even those who do not believe He exists.

“O LORD, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is full of Thy riches.” Psalm 104:24

Psalm 104 was written to praise God and His creation. May I suggest that you read it today and see if it does not make you want to praise Him? The psalm is also a window into His character. I am very curious about that. Maybe you are too.

Dear Readers, I cannot begin to understand His vast knowledge and handiwork, but I do grasp how much God loves those who search for Him sincerely. He is a wonderful Father who loves to teach us and share His wisdom and understanding. Seek Him while He can be found and then make Him a part of your daily life. Get ready for Him to surprise you.