SUNDAY MUSINGS

A Noiseless, Patient Spider
by Walt Whitman

A noiseless, patient spider.
I mark'd, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated:
Mark'd how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,
It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself:
Ever unreeling them-ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you, O my Soul, where you stand,
Surrounded, surrounded, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing,-seeking the spheres, to
connect them;
Till the bridge you will need, be form'd-till the ductile anchor hold;
Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul.

I have to say on the onset …that I think I was born an optimist. For the most part-my cup seems to always runnth over!!! When family and friends see a negative…I DON’T!! (except when it comes to political issues that is)
I do not feel as this quiet little spider does in this brilliant poem. Spidy here seems lost and alone and uncertain in his vast world. I on the other hand feel as Carol Lynn Pearson says so well… over there on my sidebar…I TRUST! A lot!!!
I am blessed enough to feel more like the soul written about in the second stanza…I have a bridge built of gossamer thread.
*And because I trust God, I strive to keep the commandments
*Because I trust God, or have hope in God, I try to do what is expected of me.
*Because I have hope and trust, I feel that my Heavenly Father is aware of little ol me and that He even cares about little ol me.
*Because I feel trust and hope, I sense a purpose in my existence on this earth.
*Because of my hope and trust, I think I may be more readily open to promptings-the whisperings of the Holy Ghost- when they come, and can act on them.
So how simple minded does this make me??? Pretty simple.
I do know that these blessing aren’t exclusively mine either. ANYONE can enjoy them. I also know that there are plenty of people on this planet that do feel as our noiseless, patient, (or not so patient) isolated spider. It is an imperfect world to be sure!! And the adversary has a most powerful tool--he’s always attempting to take away our HOPE!!
What I think I know:
Let us all do our very best to keep ceaselessly throwing gossamer threads to all the best things in this life. Building these bridges of faith and hope and trust in a power greater than us will in turn bring great blessings, ie- resourcefulness, enlightenment, less depression, and less anxiety.
Our 13th Article of Faith says it best, of course:
“We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul--we believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
Bless you all dear friends, and have a wonderful Sabbath Day!!