Monday, August 30, 2010

Salutations!


Look who wrote me a squiggle outside my bedroom window!
Miss Writing Spider turned my thoughts to a most loved book from my girlhood.
You remember Charlotte, don't you?
The valiant spider who chose her words carefully and wove them into a web to save a friend's life?
The spider who pondered for just the right message...

Lamb: How about "Pig Supreme"?
Charlotte: No good. It sounds like a rich dessert.
Goose: How about terrific, terrific, terrific?

Charlotte: Cut that down to one terrific and it will do nicely. I think terrific might impress Zuckerman.

Wilbur: But Charlotte, I'm not terrific.

Charlotte:You're terrific as far as I am concerned.


How I love Charlotte.
She and her South Carolina sister make me think of the coming fall. Of a break from the stifling heat and humidity. Of pumpkin patches and cider and spider webs on door frames. Of dew drop beads hanging between two trees in the early morning sunshine.

Charlotte also reminds me of the scripture I read yesterday, a section from Deuteronomy.

Attention, Israel! God, our God! God the one and only!
Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!
Write these commandments that I've given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night.
Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.

Deuteronomy 6: 4-9, The Message

Yes God, I want to do what you ask.
I want to be like Charlotte, writing the most important commandment of all, right on my heart:
God, our God! I love you with all that's in me, I love you with all I've got!
I want to drink those words deep inside of me, feed them to my children. Write them on my forehead, stamp them between my eyes. Inscribe them on my doorposts and gates.
I want to weave the words into a spider web, stretch out my arms, and walk right into it, then spin in it, wrapping the sticky words around me, wrapping me into a silken cocoon of God words. Of love words.

God knows the power of words. Maybe that's part of why he birthed Himself to us in human form, to speak His words straight from a mouth like ours.
People heard Jesus' words and wrote them down, and now we can say them to each other, teach them to our children. Celebrate them and the love breathed into them for the rest of our lives.
For the rest of our lives?
That reminds me of Charlotte's Web too.
See what I mean...

Wilbur: Are you writers?
Charlotte's daughters: No, but we will be when we grow up.
Wilbur:Then write this in your webs, when you learn: This hallowed doorway was once the home of Charlotte. She was brilliant, beautiful, and loyal to the end. Her memory will be treasured forever.
Charlotte's daughters: Ooh, that would take us a lifetime.
Wilbur: A lifetime. That's what we have.

Thank you God, for a lifetime to wrap ourselves in your words of love.
To retell the stories of your undying love for us, even as we made a mess of things. Even as we still do.
When we forget your love for us, when we get consumed by our own culture, when we get low and lose sight of you, help remind us of your presence, of the love letters you have for us. However much life we have left, Lord, help us live it wrapped up in your love.

Okay, here's a goofy challenge. If you had a word or two to write in your web today, what would it be?
I think mine would be...Persistence! Or Heart! Or maybe Coffee!
Or just ignore the challenge and say hello!

Have a wonder-full Monday, y'all!
Love, Becky

19 comments:

Alise said...

Charlotte's Web is, by far, one of my favorite books. Friendship & writing -- I'm all over that. Plus, it has the best closing line in any book ever.

My "web word" for today: Priorities! I've been getting a little out of focus over the past week, and I need to get that fixed.

Terri said...

Persevere...or, God has a hold on me and won't let go...that's been giving me a lot to think about these days...

HI!

Roxane B. Salonen said...

Rebecca, oh, thank you for the reminder of more wonderful Charlotte's Web quotes, Rebecca. I'm feeling like I want to read that book again. I have a beautiful biography of E.B. White written by a North Dakota author pal. What a treasure all of that. How deep the messages contained within. And spoken mainly by animals. :)

My word, I suppose, would be friendship.

As for the birthday connection, wow. Mine is September 2. We definitely were meant to cross paths as well. How cool is that???

Have a blessed day, and thanks for always giving us such beautiful words, just like Charlotte.

(By the way, I don't mind spiders, all because of her...)

Leah Skaggs said...

Sister... 'cause you're so freaking awesome.

Anonymous said...

one word...i don't think i can do just one word.

how about the one from mary poppins? supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Sharon said...

oooohh ... nice challenge to top off an awesome post!

So, that will be my word: AWESOME! It's for the awesome people in my life, and my blessed awareness of the awesome opportunties and blessings that overflow in my life. That would be another way of saying that I am looking at a very long "to-do" list!

Anonymous said...

I'd write "Faith" to remind me of what to cling to!

Jenny said...

"Beautiful" meaning your words and encouragement. the sheer beauty of the goodness of God's love. Thank you Rebecca!

Faith Hope and Cherrytea said...

i think today i'd write 'CeLeBRaTe' because it's my 50th post! and i'm kinda pumped to actually have accomplished that!
join me in cheers won't you ?!!
and thanks for everyone whose been part of the viewings !
God bless you MUCH !

Cathy ~ Tadpoles and Teacups said...

Coffee. Definitely coffee.

:)

Felicity said...

Love. I just find it is answering more and more questions for me.

Amy Sullivan said...

What a fun web word challenge! My word would be CHANGE. I have a burning desire to change. If only that change would come a wee bit faster.

I just noticed your speaking engagement listed on the side of your blog. Go you! That's a big deal.

Do you ever share what you are currently writing? You probably share all the time, and I'm just inconsistent with my blog reading to know.

Every time I stop by I leave thinking, she is good, really good.

Anonymous said...

Hi: I stopped writing screenplays because thank God I am not Charlette (or a screenwriter, anymore). I don't have to limit my words. It's difficult and fulfilling to write the drop in a bucket a single novel is to this massive world of God and art and love. I was so pleased when my daughter wrote 'Art is Life' on one of her high school notebooks. I think that is my web 'phrase' for the day. Well, I have two: Art is Life, and God is Love.

Anonymous said...

Hi: I stopped writing screenplays because thank God I am not Charlette (or a screenwriter, anymore). I don't have to limit my words. It's difficult and fulfilling to write the drop in a bucket a single novel is to this massive world of God and art and love. I was so pleased when my daughter wrote 'Art is Life' on one of her high school notebooks. I think that is my web 'phrase' for the day. Well, I have two: Art is Life, and God is Love.

Doug said...

I like the suggestion to write "coffee." I would probably write "truth" because it is such short supply.

Laura@OutnumberedMom said...

Oh, that changes daily or weekly, Becky. Today and lately, that word would be "Wonder." It'a a lovely word.

Kelly H-Y said...

Love, love, love the movie and song, and your post ... but, oh my, as a certified arachnophobe, I had to page down VERY quickly past that picture ... I'm still squirming! :-) (I had to watch the movie with my hand over my eyes half the time!!)

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, noodle head. You have officially earned the title. Another Virgo. I'm religious enough to be allowed to say that. Again, the earth rounds the time and space known as September. Hah! You beat me by four days, but my youngest beat you by two. However, you did beat my eldest by twenty-three. My middle daughter (I have three girls) a few months ago went out back to cut away some overgrown foliage to plant morning glories, when a neighbor came and told her she needn't cut so much away, she was chopping down the grapes! His wife had planted some in their yard a few years ago and they had crossed my neighbor Harriet's yard and claimed the fencing out back. (How far they go, I do not know). I was truly surprised.

Monica Sharman said...

Oh, Becky. Charlotte is so very dear to me.

One word? Today it would be a toss-up between "love" and "grace."