Awakening to the sound of birds outside of my window, I laid upon my bed under the gentle cool breeze, drinking in the fresh newness of the morning.  For some reason I had awakened alert and refreshed this morning, unlike many where I could barely get myself out of bed.

My desire was to be an ordered person, taking care of personal things in the morning, reading the Word, eating a decent breakfast and beginning my day with my "head on straight.”  With the shower completed, hair combed and makeup actually on, I went downstairs and poured water in my coffeepot for tea. 

 My eleven year old son had asked me if I would awaken him so he could have tea with me in the backyard if I got up early today.  So tip toeing into his room, I sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his back.  The quiet richness of the morning was just too precious to speak louder than a whisper, and I wanted to drink in every second of this rare moment.  Instinctively my son threw back the covers and fell into the swing of quietly putting on his clothes as though anticipating some delicious secret event that only he was going to be privy to.

 Standing in the kitchen together we stirred the honey into our cups and poured the hot water over the delicious herbal teas we had selected from our private "stash.”  Once outside we sat on our bench and breathed deeply, smiling and entering into a sort of oneness with all of nature.  Sitting there I noticed four huge trees in the back yards behind us.  Each was being touched by the same wind that was blowing that morning yet each had a different sound and rhythm in response to that wind.

 My son was speaking to me about his world and the things that interested him when I noticed something floating just beyond his lap.  It was a long legged spider attached to a strand of web being carried by the breeze that was blowing our way.  Pointing to it we both drew up and pressed against the wall of the house to avoid being landed upon by this unwelcome visitor.  The web floated past us carrying its guest into the grass beyond our patio.

 There were a few flies that began to bother us, and I was puzzled by their presence, as there was nothing to attract them that I could see.  Standing up and stretching my son glanced down at my feet.  "Mom!" he exclaimed, "There is half of a mouse under your chair!”  "Gross!”  I moaned, instructing him to go get something to throw the mouse into, a sort of payment by our big black male cat, the worlds greatest mouser.  He was always good at working to pay for his 'keep'.

 It struck me then that God was speaking all around us through the creatures that we were keeping company with.  "Son," I asked, "If God were speaking to us through the things we've seen this morning, what would He be saying?"

 His eyes turned toward the big trees and he sat silently for what seemed quite a while, taken away by his wandering thoughts.  The morning was as hypnotic to him as it had been to me!  He sighed and replied, "Well, I guess God would be telling us that we are all different and react to His Holy Spirit differently!"

 I was pleased; he was catching on so well!  I wondered silently what the floating spider might 'mean' as well as the dead mouse.  As my thoughts wandered, my son chatted happily and freely.  It struck me that I was missing the most precious of moments, and that was the love and trust of my son as he shared his deepest thoughts.  So caught up was I with 'interpreting' the signs about me, that I was oblivious to a most wonderful gift from the Father Himself...my son.

 Later as I taught in church, the things I'd seen that morning came back to me along with an understanding of what the spider could have represented.  There was a need to illustrate the ease with which we get caught up in unrighteous behavior, and that we should avoid it as it silently comes our way to land in our lives.  The flies that were attracted by the dead mouse symbolized the enemy, who after all is the "Lord of Flies.”  When something in our lives dies, like our First Love, the enemy is sure to be attracted to the stench that will emanate from within us.  The flies representing bitterness, frustration, anger, irritations, ugliness, or in other words, the works of the flesh.

 God is amazing to me.  He is not limited in how He speaks to me, and loves to speak to me in the language that I'm the most familiar with.  Being a visual and creative person with artistic talent, I delight that He chooses to illustrate His word in such magnificent ways.  The fact that my child so readily heard the voice of God through the breezes thrilled me as well.  I rejoiced in that very special moment which had been under my nose the whole time.  I had but to step into the moment to receive this sweet gift brought to me by my First Love, Jesus.

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