We are His
One early morning, my siblings and I ran through the dew-drenched woods, chasing each other in a harmless game of tag. My downfall happened when I looked back for only a moment to see where they were. As I turned back around, I ran face-first into the web of a banana spider. I remember the feeling as it wrapped around my face and upper torso. I also recall the crackling sound as its golden threads engulfed my head and began snapping next to my ears. Then there was the vision as that monstrous eight-legged creature landed on my cheek.
I can still feel the shivers as I invaded his personal space, and he invaded mine. The swatting, jumping, and screaming cries that came from my 10-year-old self were in perfect harmony with the laughter of my brothers and sisters on that cool autumn morning. This single incident became the beginning of my arachnophobia.
Fast forward six years, and I am the proud owner of a 1967 Volkswagen and an employee of the “Freezette,” a local ice cream/hamburger diner in my hometown. Driving home in the evenings, my lights repeatedly caught the site of an emerald-green gem shining in the middle of the dirt road. Curiosity got the best of me one night, and I slowed to a snail’s pace. I opened my door and leaned out near the ground only to come face-to-face with another eight-legged creature. I carried a few bruises from that incident as I clumsily pulled myself into the car.
My arachnophobic experiences taught me two essential lessons. First, never look back. As a child, I knew to watch where I was going and not run aimlessly through the woods. Scripture also teaches us not to be foolish. Once we place our hands on the plow, we cannot look back (Luke 9:62). Nonetheless, like children caught in a game, we lose sight of our path and discover dangers beyond our control.
So often, we become entangled in the snares of the world, fighting against what we cannot see, powers and rulers of darkness that come from spiritual places (Ephesians 6:12). The Apostle Peter writes that the enemy is like a roaring lion stalking its prey, ready to attack and devour the innocent (1 Peter 5:8). However, God’s greatest desire is to become the lamp for our feet, lighting our path (Psalm 119), thereby helping us avoid the raging lions.
Secondly, pretty is not always pleasant. We can grasp God’s blessings or reach for the things that leave us battered and bruised. Danger can be disguised as beautiful. Who knew the eyes of a spider could be such an alluring shade of green? Did you know free will can entice us away from God’s will? When we want to be accepted by the crowd, we join harmful activities, hurtful conversations, etc.; we take our eyes off the path of God. We reach for the emerald, and we grab the enemy.
Even so, the enemy does not own us. Like the merchant who found the great pearl and sold all he had to purchase it, the Lord has paid a great price for each of us (Matthew 13:45-46). God will exchange our emerald for a pearl when we seek His righteousness. There is no bondage He cannot break because the spirit that lives within us is greater than the spirit of the world (1 John 4:4). We are His!
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.
