I am not a fan of spiders. I don’t care what E.B. White says. Whenever I spot one, I just about pass out. The idea of an eight-legged creature churning out invisible threads on which to crawl across my bedroom ceiling freaks me out!
But did you know there are more than 40,000 different species of spiders? And that number is only – gasp – growing.
The Guardian recently reported that scientists have discovered 13 new species of spiders in Queensland, Australia. New members of the family include hand-sized tarantulas and something called a “mouse spider” that “lives in a stocking-shaped web.” (Excuse me while I go check all my stockings…)
My fear and distrust of spiders aside, I was wowed that there were even more spider species left to discover. In this age of great technological advancements, don’t you sort of assume that man has found, well, everything?
Not so. And not just when it comes to spiders. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, “About 18,000 new species a year are discovered around the world – an average of nearly 50 new species a day.”
Fifty new species a day. It’s astounding. There’s still so much to explore in every corner of the world, from creepy crawlers to under-the-sea dwellers.
And just think. If God can create thousands of spiders – so many that scientists haven’t even found them all yet – imagine what’s left to explore in our own lives. Plans, wonders, miracles waiting to unfold. New discoveries to be had every day, even when we think God can no longer surprise us.
I’ll try to keep that in mind the next time I spot a spider!
