What do spiderwebs, sunrises, and bowel movements have in common? If you said nothing, you’d be…wrong. And if you said, Seriously Brett, you’re ridiculous, I’d tell you just hang with me.
There are some fascinating facts about spiders and spiderwebs and I cannot help but marvel at this little nasty miracle of nature. We’ll explore a couple more but today I want to talk about the shared properties of our initial comparison.
Our three candidates have this in common – they are NEW every morning. (Or at least almost/mostly)
Every day, if we awake, we all get a new sunrise. It’s never the same. The timing, the sky, the clouds, the colors, the atmosphere, the surroundings all come together as the earth rotates and the sun comes into view. It is a sight to behold.
I couldn’t help but throw out there the body’s daily duty! (I realize not everyone functions quite so well but bear with me.) The life-giving delivery is its own spectacular disclosure. While it’s not something given much thought, the consistency is a thing of beauty, of renewal, and based on the intake yesterday, each experience has its own unique flair. (We’ll spare you the details for now.)
Now, for our series’ emphasis, the spiderweb fits in this because most of the time, a spider will spin a new web every night or at least repair and rebuild into something new. This absolutely blows my mind but also reflects the defining motto of CrossFit RWOL and a spiritual revelation.
One breath, one step, one day at a time: This is how any of us gets through life. There are no short cuts, teleports, or fast forwards. As with spiders and sunrises and, yes, even morning movements, we can make our plans but not rush their appearance.
Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart man plans his path, but the LORD orders his steps.” This has been one of the most freeing and empowering things for me as a follower of Jesus.
For a long time, I thought God would just do what God was going to do and nothing was up to me although I was supposed to have free will. At the same time, I was terrified that I was going to get off the right path without knowing it, do the wrong thing by mistake, and end up in eternal torment. This came through everything from career to relationship.
Here’s what I’ve learned. I get to choose…every day. I pick out my clothes. I decide what to eat. I choose where to sit and how to type my message. I select my drink. And so forth and so on. This, and all things like it, are not God’s finagling and manipulation. This is also true for others. So, I (and they) make plans, but the conversations, the free drink received or given, the encouragement, the expressions of mercy and grace, are the ordering of the Holy Spirit.
We can expand this to a bigger spectrum in things like jobs. Ashly and I chose to plant a church as a CrossFit gym. Her and I decided for her to take a sales job and then shortly after that, land at SNU to be the Health Center Director. But the parking lot salvation, the prayer and conversation that prevented a suicide, the deliverance from substance abuse, is the pacing of progress.
That’s us planning our path and God ordering our steps.
Path is the course, the trajectory, the left or right or straight. Steps refer to the PACE! It also speaks to the literal steps along the way. God stabilizes the footing, provides clarity to the secure stones as well as the land mines underfoot, and keeps us moving toward wholeness sustainably.
Psalm 119:105 says that the word of God illuminates BOTH the ground at our feet, and the pathway in which we’re traveling. So, if we’re not spending anytime in God’s word, we’re running in the dark.
We read a hopeful message of truth right in the middle of a book of lament, sorrow, and sadness. “The steadfast love of God never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
I think the most powerful piece of the spider web correlation is that the spider isn’t devastated after the masterpiece is created when it gets knocked down or torn down intentionally to rebuild, on a daily basis. Just like God doesn’t tire from painting a new sunrise each morning and a spider doesn’t quit because it has rebuilt a web 366 days in a row, you and I CAN choose to rise again and rebuild one more time!
As you see the next sunrise or run into another spiderweb or even saddle up for a daily flushing, may you be reminded that you, too, are capable of ONE MORE BREATH, ONE MORE STEP, ONE MORE DAY, knowing that God’s mercies (passionate kindness for others) start fresh each morning!
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