Spiders and Fears

Why do kids like spiders on Halloween but scream about them every other day of the year?

All three of my kids cry and scream whenever they see something that even remotely looks like a spider. However, this halloween they received several spiders from many different places. You would think they'd throw them away. But no, not my kids. I'm finding them in my bed, on the couch, and even on the back of the toilet.

What's even funnier is my kids don't like halloween - well, except for my oldest. But the younger two do not share in the hype of the day. So what is the intrigue about spiders? I don't know if it is to scare me (which would benefit them if I were truly scared), or if in their own way it's like playing with fire. They have a fear of the real thing, but playing with the fake sort of puts them in control over that fear.

If they could only realize that we don't need to fear anything. God is in control. I know we don't see it sometimes, and the spiritual battles seem to be getting tougher to fight - even for the kids. But the rewards are there when we trust, and the fear just falls away. I pray that there is a way I can help my children see through the fear to God so that they don't have to play with the fake things in life to feel in control of their fears.

In the meantime, I will just keep throwing away the spiders left for me to trip over. They never even realize when they are gone.