As I left the house early this morning I noticed a spider by my front door hanging by a single thread with no sign of a web. It somehow looked wrong and I felt slightly doubtfully about the spider’s ability to survive.

There are times when things appear to be going so wrong or not as I would have liked that I feel all that is left is barely enough to keep me going. It’s like Im’ hanging by a weak and fragile thread that could readily break at any point.

The reality is very different, there is more than just one thin fragile thread holding me up, but I am at times unable to see the bigger picture and all that I do, or think about, is the one thing that can’t be changed or reversed.

I am good at action replays, analysing and mulling over a situation, looking at it lots of different ways and making up many ‘what if’ sinerios . All fairly time consuming and none of which will ultimately change anything. This is when I need to expand my vision, see the bigger picture and refocus away from the troublesome event or incident. I have sometimes referred to this as changing the channel in my head.

If only we had a remote control that changed our lives to a new chanel each time there was something going on that we didn’t want to play out. Ho hum, life is never quite that simple.

God doesn’t promise an easy life and like the caterpillar that needs to strengthen it’s new wings to break free from the chrysalis all the struggles and hardship are part of a far bigger and greater picture. God knows the beginning, and end, for each one of our stories and has promised that

‘All things work together for those who love the Lord’

Yet still, I find myself, from time to time, looking in the wrong direction. Slow to offer the problems to the Lord in prayer and almost insisting on letting the world weigh me down, until I find something new to distract me away from the current issue.

Meanwhile, my old, loving faithful friend, guide, comforter, and example is patiently waiting for me to turn back to Him and seek His wisdom and purposes for my life.

Thinking more about the spider, the web must have a beginning, the first ‘leap of faith’ so to speak;The point when you start something new, the moving in a different direction, the unfamiliar, or unknown. The certainty is however, that God already knows and is right there with us, there is nothing to fear.

Romans 8
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Adopted by God, so we can call him Father, heirs in His Kingdom, you don’t get better life support than that!

Trust God. Take the next step, the blind leap of faith, because God will catch you if you fall, pick you up again, he hasn’t started a work in you and forgotten about you!

Philippians 1
‘And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ’