An Unlikely Messenger

This morning I saw a spider. She (I am assuming she was a she) was slowly and carefully making her way around and over the ceiling light fixture in my basement meditation space. My first reaction was fear. Somewhere along the way, I learned to be afraid of spiders. If it had been several years ago, I most likely would have killed it. I stopped doing that. I do not want them crawling on me, but I respect life. I usually leave them alone or capture them and release them outside.

Today, I chose to simply watch in wonder and amazement as she used her legs to feel for each next movement. I noticed how she reached out to discover what lay ahead and where her next movement would take her. I saw her change direction many times as I sat watching and learning from her.

I have no idea of her intended destination. My story is that she was seeking a safe place to lay her eggs. Her abdomen appeared plump. Of course, that is just the meaning I assigned to it. As I said, I have no idea. Perhaps she was just moving through life, taking each step as it came.

I wondered where she had come from and how she had gotten up on the ceiling and how long it had taken her to make that journey and why she was taking such care as she navigated the perimeter of that light fixture.

She reminded me of several truths, though. She reminded me of our intrinsic connection with nature. All too often, we humans think that our job is to dominate nature, rather than live in harmony with it. This attitude has contributed to much violence enacted upon the Earth, the environment and all life that depends on both for survival, including ourselves.

We have, for far too long, misinterpreted the Scripture that says the Earth is ours to subdue. The Earth is ours to respect. While it is still up for debate, we are thought to be the most intelligent and conscious life forms on the planet, but that does not give us the authority to abuse it for our own selfish gain at the expense of the whole.

She also reminded me of the importance of sensing into what lies ahead, rather than rushing to the next move. She uses her legs to feel for it. We can use our non-physical sense of intuition to feel into what is in front of us before stepping forward. All too often in my hurry to make something happen, I have acted before taking time to slow down, feel the energy within and without, and use my intuitive sense to inform the next step. I have made some missteps. I have recovered. I have learned. I trust that I can apply what I have learned, but I make no promises.

In addition, she reminded me that it is okay not to have a destination in mind. We do not know where the road will lead. We have an idea of where we want to go, but life’s journey may take us in a totally different direction. Watching her change course as she wandered around the light fixture, reassured me that life is not lived in a straight line, but a circuitous path. As we navigate life, we will, most assuredly change direction many times. Still, we can know that we are on the path, no matter where it leads or how long it takes. I left her still roaming around that light fixture.

Finally, her connection with the energy around her reminded me that we are always connected to everything and everyone. I believe that she could sense my movement, even though I was at a distance. When I moved, she stopped moving for a moment as if to sense what was happening. When I stopped, she began moving again. We are interconnected and interrelated. When we attune, we can and do sense the energy that surrounds us. We can use that awareness to feel the next right step along life’s journey. Life informs us when we take time to feel it and listen to it.

I am grateful for my spider friend this morning. She was my messenger. She was evidence that our messengers may not show up in the form we expect, and not always in the form we would choose, but they are there if we are open and willing to notice.

Pay attention. Who or what is your messenger today?