St Peters RC Church Hamilton

Glorious sunbeams, mysterious shadows

Dance happily across my mind.

But this does in no way compare

With the beauty I find

In seeing the work of a September spider!

The spider has spun its web of silken thread,

Meticulously, silently, industriously.

I did not see any of the labour,

But the result is as delicate

As a fine filigree of lace woven decoratively.

A continuous thread woven from side to side,

The spider has scuttled away to hide,

Leaving in its wake the care it did take.

An elegant weave, meant to be a trap,

Busy about its work whilst the spider

Does what? Take a nap after its busy industry?

The woven thread is a beautiful structure,

Glinting gold in soft sunshine, glittering and shimmering,

Shiny silver when made dew drop bright,

Or bejewelled by showers of rain.

Then again, come frosty November or December,

A cobweb thread on a statuesque dark seedhead,

Glows with frosted white of bright light,

Hinting at silver in hoar frost’s shivery weather.

Outstanding in beauty, already the silken web

Of the spider’s spun thread then becomes

A particular feature of nature,

Notable, identifiable and doubly lovely!

Why should we, the Lord God’s family,

Be in any way surprised at this,

When we already know our Father,

Almighty in power, profound in holy purpose,

Is so very generous in His love for us,

He regularly sets out to pleasantly surprise us!

Lord, for all the beauty I find in Your world, I praise and thank You. Although I do not like spiders, I can see such splendour in their efforts to catch prey, a work You make doubly beautiful when sunny,

wet or frosty. You are the Lord of many good opportunities taken to surprise us and You deserve our praise. Amen.