A GIFT FROM A SPIDER
Objects
a picture of a spider web
(or better yet a real web)
a picture of a large spider
(or better yet, a spider in a glass jar)
__________
I
recall, many years ago, hearing a story about a tiny spider that gave
a very large gift. Would you like to hear it?
It seems that when Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the country of Egypt that they found the way really hard and even cold at night. One night Joseph said to Mary, "Let's stop here for the night. We can even rest in this cave." So Mary and Joseph took Jesus into the cave for the night. Joseph wanted to be a good guy, so after Mary and Jesus had gone to sleep, he took off his coat and placed it on the baby, because he could tell that Jesus was shivering. Finally, even though he was cold, he fell asleep.
During the night a little spider came to the cave, peaked in, saw 3 people. As he looked closer he say that Joseph, Mary and the baby were quite cold. Knowing that this was the Christ child, the little spider thought to himself, "What can I give Jesus. Right now he needs something to keep him warm." So the little spider scampered back to the entrance of the cave and started weaving a beautiful web. Back and forth, up and down. Back and forth and up and down he went around the entrance of the cave. He hoped that in some way this would keep some of the cold wind out. When he finished I can imagine that he stepped back (with all his legs, ha.) and looked at his masterpiece. So with that, he scampered away.
Well, that would be a really cool story if that was all, but there is more. Yep...there is more. Listen to this. When day broke, some soldiers approached the cave. They had been sent by King Herod to locate the Christ child. and they were checking all places where they might hide. They dismounted and one was about to go into the cave, when he stopped short and turned around. Why? Well, that was the question asked by the captain. "Why not go in and look." The reply, "There is no use in going in there and waste time because there is a spider web across the entrance. If anyone was in there they would have had to break the web. Let us be on our way." So, the family escaped.
Boys and girls, this is a legend. I repeat it is just a pretend story, but some say that that is the reason we have tinsel on the Christmas tree today. It is simply because of the gift of the spider. My point. Nothing small goes unnoticed by Jesus. He notices everything. He accepts every single thing. No gift that Jesus ever received is ever forgotten.
S0o, give your gift to the Lord through your church.
