It was a dark and stormy Sunday afternoon. My scary brother and his girl (okay they aren't scary, but this is a scary story, right?) joined us for a lovely Sunday supper. They brought a friend to share with us. Are you ready for their scary friend? Really, I can say this of their friend. Scroll down to see the picture because I didn't want to scare you right off... on a Choose Your Own Adventure book you might have to turn to a different page so the surprise isn't ruined, but emails don't have the same luxury.... Okay, scroll...
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Did I mention I am not sure how much you are supposed to scroll?
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I figure something when you can't see the bottom from the top.
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And I am not sure how big your screens are.
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Scary, huh! Imagine that it is the size of a small child's hand. Big, scary spider. Well, as the story goes my brother (who really isn't scary) thought the children would love to see this spider that he and his not-scary girl found. Yes, cool... now take it outside and put it on the porch, please!
Dinner became ready. The table needed set. Cute, huge spider was removed to the kitchen counter. Laughs and games followed dinner. Ten year old Bianca even got to stay up with Mom and Dad for a little fun after the younger ones were tucked snug in their beds. As Bianca is about to go to bed she noticed that the spider was no longer in the open-topped, plastic drawer that was his habitat for the time being. "Wait! It's gone? Are you sure?" After both Paul and I confirmed this observation, we indeed noticed the not-so-little arachnid missing in action. Scared yet? Okay, don't panic.
I suggested I wanted to go get socks on. Socks comfort me. Warmsies on my feet. Prevents feeling eight legs tickling my toes... just in case... Wait! Paul spots it under the range! The lights are turned on and it is gone! I still don't have socks on! He takes out the range storage drawer to see where our friend has gone. We don't see anything! Did I mention I don't mind squishing spiders with my own hands? The small, little house spiders, that is. I don't eek and eep when I see a spider. I even helped a really big snake out of our strawberry netting once. BUT, this was a pretty big spider in my estimation. Scared, yet? Okay, well needless to say he wasn't under the stove. Five... Ten minutes later... time elongates in these situations... I turned around to finally go get some socks on and noticed a large, black silhouette on our curtains. Ah, the runaway was found! Paul quickly helped him back into the topless container and took him outside. Bianca fetched the traveling gerbil cage and we dumped him into it. Paul placed him in a inconspicuousness location in the yard for further inspection in the morning. I went and put on some socks.
The scariest part of this story is not really all the action you just read about. The next day Paul took the picture you saw above. He was able to discover by a spider identification website that it was a Wolf spider. We all thought that it was a tarantula. Wolf spiders venom toxicity are "poisonous, but not lethal. Although non-aggressive, they bite freely if provoked and should be considered dangerous to humans. The bite may be very painful. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, particularly as to children or the elderly."1 The fact that we allowed something poisonous in the house, let it hang out on the kitchen counter, and then pose danger to the children, NOW that is the scary part!
But, there is something even more scary that I want to talk about. The thing I wanted to say is "What are we allowing to be brought into our homes that is uncontained, poisionous, maybe even lethal to the spirits of any who abide in our home?" Do we rationalize because we don't fully know what kind of spider it is or how toxic it can be and allow it to hang out on our "kitchen counters?"
Whatever it may be, I hope the consequences of allowing something destructive into the home scares you to death. Fortify your homes and your own personal virtue as you make choices each day. To avoid such temptations, be like Captain Moroni of old; set up “fortifications” to strengthen your places of weakness. Instead of building walls of “timbers and dirt” to protect a vulnerable city, build “fortifications” in the form of personal ground rules to protect your priceless virtue.2 Remember, such “fortifications” are not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, they show strength. The scriptures tell us Captain Moroni was so strong that if all men would be like him, “the very powers of hell would [be] shaken forever.”3
Here's to the powers of hell shaking!
Much Love,
Candace
"It is wise to keep computers and televisions in the family room or other high-traffic areas in your home."4
1 http://www.termite.com/spider-identification.html
2 See Alma 53:4, 7.
3 See Alma 48:17.
4 David E. Sorensen, “You Can’t Pet a Rattlesnake,” Ensign, May 2001, http://www.lds.org
2 comments:
Great post Candace!
Another one of your wonderful stories with a great spiritual message. Thanks!!!
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