Our friend Murray-- Chapter 1

Our dear friend Murray- the- spider is waking up in the early morning just as our sun is also waking in the sky and waking up all living things.

“Good morning Murray.”

“Good morning.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Very well, yes, very well.”

“Where are you now?”

“Why, I am at home. Naturally.”

“And what are you going to do today?”

“I will do what comes naturally.”

“And where will you go today?”

“I will go wherever it is that life takes me today.”

“Naturally.”

“It is going to be a beautiful day.”

“Yes, it seems so.”

And with that, our dear friend Murray began the day by stretching his legs, each one separately, and with a little kick at the end of each stretch to remind himself of his own strength.

Murray was ready to see where the day would take him.

But first, a snack.

He walked along the web that was his home over to one of the sections where he held his morning breakfast. This morning he was to have a very yummy grasshopper delight.

Late the night before our friend Charlie- the- grasshopper had gotten caught. He had simply been jumping along his normal path in the woods and somehow, in the middle of the air, in the middle of his jump, something stopped him.

He thought, “How could I possibly be stuck in mid-air?” He did not understand.

And so he tried to jump again. But this second jump only made him more stuck in the middle of the air. And further jumping only continued this problem until he was clearly stuck for good. Until someone, somewhere heard his concerned cries and let him free. Or some other miracle would allow him to jump again.

Sadly for our friend Charlie, freedom was not coming for him. Only our friend Murray the spider was set on his way to help. But unfortunately for our friend Charlie, our friend Murray’s way of helping was of a different kind than Charlie was hoping.

So, as noted before, after the night of being stuck in mid-air was over and the sun woke the day, our friend Murray came over to our friend Charlie.

“Good morning Mr. Grasshopper.”

“Good morning, who are you?”

“Why, my name is Murray. I am here to help you.”

“Oh wonderful, for you see, I seem to be stuck here in the mid-air.”

“Yes, you came upon my web while you were jumping and you have become stuck in my home.”

“Oh, well, I see. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Oh, no, it is my fault. My home tends to attract and keep those who may not wish to intrude.”

“I do not understand.”

“You see, I long for visitors and they come by now and then and I enjoy their company.”

“Well, you’ll forgive me if I don’t stay but I find it rude that you would trap people to become your friends.”

“Oh, you are mistaken. I am not looking for just any friends to visit. I am looking for friendship of a different sort. I am here to take you to another place, one where you will help me be fulfilled.”

“I do not understand.”

Actually our friend Charlie was beginning to understand very clearly but was hoping he was wrong. Unfortunately for our friend Charlie his newfound insight was clear and correct and he was then and there shown the truth of his insight.

Our friend Murray grabbed hold of our friend Charlie, said to him, “I hope you will not mind but I must now do what comes naturally.”

“I believe that I do mind,” said an exasperated Charlie.

But as our friend Charlie squirmed, he was unsuccessful in stopping the natural order of things.

Our friend Murray was suddenly consumed with energy and life and a renewed feeling of strength. Murray was sad he had to lose his new friend Charlie, our friend Charlie the grasshopper, whom he had only just met. But our friend Murray- the- spider also knew that his mission each day was to simply keep living and being as natural to himself as he could be.

Living for him meant that he was to feed his body and soul just as others in our world feed their bodies and souls, with the nutrients needed to live.

And with that, our friend Murray was ready to begin his new day of adventure.

Murray set off to see where the day would take him today. As he walked further along the web that was his home, he happened upon the tree limb where his web was attached and began traveling down the limb to see what was there. As he traveled along the branch, he came upon a knot in the branch.

This knot was very large and bumpy. He reached around and around to keep hold of the branch and get around the knot, but unfortunately the knot was also slippery. When one of his eight legs began to slip, the others tried to quickly step in and hold tighter.

It all happened so quickly, but all eight legs came loose and the next thing he knew he was lying upside down on dry patch of dirt on the forest floor.

“Are you ok Murray?”

“Well, I do seem to be upside down. And I have fallen. But let me turn myself rightside up here. Oh yes, there, I am better now that I am rightside up.”

“It is always good to be rightside up, isn’t it?”

“Well, yes, it is usually better than being wrongside up. But now, let’s see where we are,” our friend Murray said as he dusted himself off. “We seem to have fallen onto the forest floor. My web is so high among the trees.”

“Perhaps you should begin the climb back up the tree.”

“Yes, but you see, it looks as if the wind blew me many different directions as I fell and I fear I am now in another part of the forest. I am unsure where I am now that I am down here and amongst so many trees. So it would appear that the day is taking me in a different direction than I had expected. Well, let’s see what is around here and where I am headed next.”

And with that, our friend Murray, began the new day in a new way he had not imagined. He was no longer in his home, but he knew that the world would provide, the day would be full, and his life would be stronger for it all.