I live in confinement by myself in a 6×9 cell. Outside of my little window is a massive spider’s web that a giant spider rules throughout the night. But during the day, the spider remains hidden and watches all of the insects collect on the web.
One day I was reading about love in Romans 13:8–10, and also another scripture about how we gotta have faith. I would read and then get out of bed and look out the window to let the verses soak into my soul. Then I’d get back in bed and read again. This process continued.
Once when I got out of the bed and looked out the window, wouldn’t you know it, a lovebug was trapped in the spider’s web. Now, I hadn’t seen a lovebug for a while. I figured it was too cold to be lovebug season. It’s still cold right now in Hardee County. I looked over at my Bible and thought, “Could it be a coincidence that I’m reading about love and now I find this lovebug?”
Right away, I started willing the lovebug to get away. I mean, I understand the food chain and all, but I wanted this lovebug to live.
The lovebug fought. Oh man, did he ever fight, and the more he fought, the more entangled he became. I was willing him so hard with my mind to keep fighting (because it reminded me of my situation with this twenty-year prison bid) that I began talking to him.
“Fight! Fight! Don’t give up!” I said. If I’d had a roommate or if the guard would’ve walked by, they’d have thought I’d gone crazy.
With each struggle, the lovebug became more entangled until, finally, it looked as if he had given up. I tried to will him some more, but he wouldn’t move. So I got angry and told him, “Well, if you aren’t gonna fight for yourself, then I’m not gonna fight with you! I’m laying back down!”
And that’s what I did.
That’s when I started reading about how we gotta have faith. I studied some more and decided to get back up and check on the lovebug. He was still motionless. I started to talking to him again. This time I told him, “You gotta have faith.” I told him that he had to believe no matter how entangled he was. I told him God could help him, but he had to believe. Then I told him that I believed that God could get him out of that web before nightfall.
“You believe, and I’ll believe—let’s see what happens,” I said.
I promise you, just as sure as my name is Greg, right that second he started fighting again. This lovebug came to life! He was doing human-like moves with his legs, trying to get free from the web around him. It was amazing.
I sat there and mentally fought with this minute insect for a good hour and a half, but sadly he made absolutely no progress. He tired himself out and fell limp again.
I got back in bed and kept reading about faith. When I was done reading, I silently and subconsciously went to thinking and praying about the lovebug situation. And then it started drizzling. Well, not really drizzling—only a couple of raindrops fell.
Something in the back of my brain said, “Get up and look out the window.” And the moment I did, a raindrop hit the lovebug and knocked him from the web!
Can’t nobody in this world tell me that faith doesn’t work! We gotta have faith!
God is great, and He is faithful to care for all of His creatures. I’m so glad to be one of His children.
