Faith and the Spider

For as long as I can remember I've had a fear of spiders. I was the one who screamed bloody murder at the first sight of even the smallest creepy little thing. It wasn't until just a few years ago that I found any reason at all for my fear.

My youngest son had gone to spend the night with my sister. I had a date earlier that night but the date didn't go well and I was home early. With the house quiet I decided to just go to bed and catch up on some sleep. It was a little cool that night so I grabbed an old worn flannel shirt out of the dresser to sleep in.

As I pulled the blankets up around my neck I felt something on my chest where the shirt wasn't buttoned all the way. It felt like nothing but a loss hair and I brushed it away without a second thought and fell asleep shortly. Sleeping unusually late the next morning was strange for me as I've always been a morning person and I am wide awake by 6 a.m. at the latest.

When I woke around ten I had a horrid itching on my chest. When I looked in the mirror all I could see were five or six tiny bumps.

My Story Involving Spiders:

It is said that Brown Recluse spiders are known for their reclusive nature and avoid humans. There are however times that they do bit people. I know this is a fact because I was bitten not once but numerous times. Although about 50% of Brown Recluse spider bits are "dry" - that means no venom is injected and nothing happens to the bit victim. I wasn't so lucky! In my case for the first 24 hours I thought fleas had bitten me on my chest. There were 5 or 6 tiny bumps that itched like crazy. Being horrified of the thought of having my chest scared up I did everything under the sun to avoid scratching. It was all to no avail though, I didn't scratch but the small spots continued to itch.

By the second day the pinhead-sized bumps turned into nickel sized open sores, I had NOT scratched them once. By the 4th day they were quarter sized and an area about the size of a grown person's hand (fingers extended) was raw flesh. The itching continued.

It was about this time that I was talking to a friend on the phone. After a short conversation I told her I was going to have to get off the phone and find something to put on my chest because the itching was unbearable. She asked me what was wrong and I told her. I'd never heard this friend "panic" but I could hear it in her voice as she ordered me to get to the hospital "right now".

Well, I really didn't want to make the trip to the hospital for several reasons. I hate hospitals, I didn't have insurance, and I really didn't feel like looking like an idiot going to the emergency room for a couple little flea bits. So to delay a bit I called my Mom instead. Mom mind you is a registered nurse so figured she would know what to do for this annoying itching. When I described the situation to Mom there was silence on the other end of the phone for what seemed forever.

When she did finally speak I could tell she was crying but being typical "MOM" she attempted to put up a brave front for me. In a shaky voice she said, "Well Faith I've always known you were strong but until now I never knew just how strong." At first she had me totally confused but eventually she went on to explain that people have died within 48 hours of being bitten, that the poison actually destroys tissue. With the bites being on my chest it was a miracle that my heart and lungs weren't effected.

Looking back now I can only believe that God just wasn't ready to take me home yet! Since that time I have paid a lot closer attention to His voice and what plans He might have for me. Learning from others and being thankful for the opportunity.