10.20.2014 For some time I’ve been very afraid I would get bitten by a spider in the middle of the night while I slept. Tonight I woke up from a very sound sleep. I laid there a moment, wondering why I awoke. Then I felt it, scampering up my arm! Simultaneously, I brushed off my arm and jumped out of bed. I quickly turned on the lamp beside my bed, and there it was, crumpled, dead, but very much a spider. I ran and got the tweezers out of the nearby bathroom and picked up the little spider to examine it. I had to get my reading glasses to make out the markings on the spider. Yep, sure enough, it had a tiny brown fiddle on its back. It was a brown recluse! Though the thing was small, it was real! I hadn’t dreamed or imagined it. My fear had become a reality! At church this morning our pastor spoke on fear. As Christians we have no reason to fear if we trust God, says he. At the end of a very good sermon we were asked to bow our heads and close our eyes. We were asked to recall our fears, cup our hands, place all our fears in the cup, and offer them up to the Lord, releasing our fears to him. I placed a few things into the cup of my hands, and shed a few heart-felt tears as I lifted up the cup and released those fears to the Lord. I left church feeling light hearted. But, I forgot to place my fear of spiders into the cup! My fears of spiders occurred, as most fears are birthed, through a bad experience. I’ve always had a healthy respect for spiders, but I was never “afraid” of them, until I got bitten by a brown recluse a few years ago. It was a painful experience. Since that time I am not humored by watching yellow banana spiders spin their lovely webs or taking pictures of sparkly dew-dripped webs at sunrise. In fact, when I see one, no living creature will ever see it again, for it will surely wind up a dead spider! So, my lousy fear of a spider crawling into my bed chamber with me came to fruition! Sigh … However, spider did not eat me, or even get a nibble! Spider got obliterated! Down the toilet it got flushed to never be seen again! Now, since I am awake (3:23 AM) due to not really wanting to climb back into the bed where a spider murder recently occurred, for what if said spider had siblings that might also be hungry, or better yet, vengeful? And even though I am sleepy and could fall out quickly, I could not be but wide awake when my head hit the pillow for fear of spider siblings, of course! And besides, I am in a query over waking before I got bitten! How did I wake up in time to smite the spider before it had a chance to take a bite of me? I have a theory! I happen to believe creatures exist on the planet that are similar to brown recluse spiders in that they are hidden from us and seldom seen. These creatures are powerful, are said to be huge, are put here for our good and for our protection, and are in service to none other than God Almighty. I believe in angels, my friends. Yes, I really do! And having preached to myself the good Word, and having faith and trust in God, I bid you Good Night! My bed is now calling my name. Sleep well … For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot. “Because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” Psalms 91:11-16