By: Steve Fandel

I’m often amazed and in awe over the beauty and intricacy of creation.  I find that this is a real side benefit and blessing of getting into nature photography.  I’ve been delving deeper into this enjoyable hobby of mine, creating digital images of the beauty all around us.  Sunrises and sunsets are my personal favorite.

Try as I might, even the best camera with the largest number of pixels couldn’t fully do justice to the splendid colors that God mixes on his great palette in the sky.  Still, I find myself pausing during these “Kodak moments” to give thanks for the beauty that I too often take for granted.

But while it’s usually something like the breath taking sunsets or majestic mountains that evoke such feelings, I credit a spider for my latest creation chill bumps.

Crazy as it may sound, I found myself with my camera lens (and my hand) about two inches away from a rather large spider on its web.  It seems that three such large spiders (I don’t know what kind) have decided to spin a web alongside our house, near one of my flower gardens.

I decided to try and snap some “macro” shots of these spiders while the sun was setting one day this week.  As any photographer will tell you, that “magic hour” before and after sunrise/sunset is the best time for getting that perfect (God-given) light to take pictures.

With the beauty of digital, I snapped about 40 images of the spiders, then went inside to upload on my computer and admire my photos and God’s creation.  I was amazed at the level of detail in a few of these shots.

Again, I don’t have that expensive a camera (but I’ve got my eyes on one) but it was good enough to reveal the tiny detail of this scary spider.  I found myself wondering how God could create such intricate detail in this rather small creature.

The web itself is another work of beauty that the spider spins for its prey.  As I paused to ponder the furry legs of the spider, I recalled the verse of scripture that talks about the minute detail that exists within God’s creation.

And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
-Matthew 10:30

While checking out that verse on line, I came across a commentary from John Wesley that speaks to the fact that God is indeed concerned with the smallest of details in his creation and in our lives. Wesley writes:

The particular providence of God is another reason for your not fearing man. For this extends to the very smallest things. And if he has such care over the most inconsiderable creatures, how much more will he take care of you. (provided you confess him before men, before powerful enemies of the truth) And that not only in this life, but in the other also.
- John Wesley commentary

The next time I go to thinking that God doesn’t care about this or that happening in my life, I hope I’ll remember that spider.  A creator that goes into such intricate detail in creating a spider, must surely be mindful of the attitudes and actions of man.
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