I was struck recently during an early morning walk. I watched a spider weave her web. It was a work of art, but it spawned a story — one I will tell my granddaughter when I next take her on a strategic walk.
“A tiny spider wove her web. It took her hours to spin it. Carefully she tied each new strand, until at last she finished. She gazed upon the work she did. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she said. But then she spied an apparent flaw, an awkward looking thread. It was at the top all by itself, so different, so ‘extra.’
‘Oh, little thread what shall I do? My perfect web is blemished. Its symmetry is just untidy, as anyone can see.’
The tiny spider sat and thought, then thought again some more. ‘That single thread has got to go. It can’t be so important that if I snipped it carefully, nothing bad would happen.’ She climbed her web to that little thread. It wasn’t hard to break. She merely thought, ‘Away with you.’ That was all it took.
Suddenly, her ‘perfect’ web collapsed and SHE FELL WITH IT.”
After I relate this tale to my granddaughter, I will ask her, “What does that story about the tiny spider tell you?” It will be a great opportunity to hear what her young mind thinks about life, perfection, little decisions with big consequences, and so much more. But it will also give me an opportunity to tell her that in life, everything depends on one very important thread — the vertical one we have with God. If we break that connection, like tiny spider did with that upward thread, things can go badly.
I love the book of nature and the wonder of “reading” it aloud to my grandchildren.
For Discussion: The book of nature, like the heavens, tell of the glory of God. What are some aspects of nature that are part of the upcoming season that capture your eye or your imagination?
For Action: Tell yourself “a story with a purpose” about one of those aspects of nature and then tell the story to a grandchild or write it and send it to all of them.
Myriam Laureys, a strategic grandmother living in Belgium
Copyright © 2020 Grandly: The Strategic Grandparents Club
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