You will Tread on Serpents and Scorpions

Last April, I was standing on the porch in the courtyard area of my backyard watering my plants. It was almost dark, so I couldn’t see very well. One of my purposes for being back there just before dusk was to try to find the culprit responsible for the loud croaking keeping me awake every night. I assumed it was a frog – don’t frogs croak? And because of the intense volume of the croaking, I had visions of finding a mammoth size bull frog who had decided to take up residence in my little pond. But, I also wondered if maybe it was some other type of critter?

As I stood there shooting the water on the bushes watching intently for any type of critter, I gasped in fear as I saw the very large, light slimy grey tail end of something slither in between the rocks and into the bushes. I was frozen with fear. I couldn’t move. When I regained my composure, I viciously squirted my hose toward that area to try to get a better glimpse of what it was. Could this be the thing making all the noise? I didn’t want to admit, though, that it looked like a big snake. I tried to talk myself out of the fact that it probably was a snake and not some other type of animal. I was so upset because, although I know there are snakes around my yard (my house backs up to the woods), I like to live in a fantasy world that none are around me. I just cannot knowingly cohabitate with snakes. And now, with my very own eyes, I had seen firsthand that there is for sure one in my bushes. The reason for all of this distress is because I have to mow my yard every week. I can’t just not mow the courtyard area. The grass would grow very high and thick, and then who knows what would come to live there!

As thoughts began to flood my mind with the idea that I better flee this area for fear the big snake may come out and try to get me, I took one last glance at the pond. Much to my surprise, there was a frog swimming around. My visions of what size he might be were met with disappointment as I glared at this puny, little frog. How could this little thing make so much noise! So, I reasoned with myself that surely this snake isn’t poisonous and aggressive because the little frog is still alive!

I fled the courtyard and ran back to the safety of the driveway and garage. Visions of snakes were consuming my mind. I was reminded of the big black snake I had found at the entrance of my garage last summer (I stood frozen in fear screaming until Morgan and Brittany came to the door and were ordered to call Jesse, a good friend who lives close by, to please come kill it!). All I could think about was how I was going to mow the yard on Sunday with that snake there.

Well, Sunday came. I convinced myself that I had to be a big girl and stop being afraid. I also remembered the verse in the Bible that says “you will tread on serpents and scorpions”. I’m sure I was taking that verse totally out of context (isn’t that what we tend to do – find a verse and make it fit our situation?), but I quoted it from the time I started mowing until I was safely back on the driveway. I also added numerous prayers for God to please keep the snake out of my sight…just don’t let me see it!

I have windows in my den that surround the pond and bush area and allow me to see behind the bushes. So, every morning before work and every evening when I got home, I would comb the area looking for the snake. No sign of him anywhere. One day a couple of weeks later, though, as I was making my routine site check, much to my horror again there was another snake. This one was black. I saw him as he slithered out of the pond and into the bushes. “What is going on? Now, I have two snakes that I have to cohabitate with! No, this can’t be happening!” And on and on I went. How was I going to mow my yard now with two snakes to deal with? I was beside myself. Brittany and Morgan were telling me I didn’t need to mow the yard, I should just hire someone.

Over the next couple of months, I saw three more snakes…all different from the first two. I was still claiming my special Bible verse and trusting God to keep the snakes away each week when I mowed. This was an extreme mental challenge because this whole snake thing was completely gripping me with fear. I started thinking about why I hate snakes so much. Well, there’s the obvious – they’re sneaky, slimy and poisonous and what if they bite me! But, I also associate snakes with satan – you know, the whole Garden of Eden thing? Let’s see, sneaky, poisonous, bites you – all those descriptions fit. I thought about how these snakes are so much like satan. As I would see a new snake who had decided to take up residence in my pond, it would anger me. “Excuse me, NO, you cannot live here. I did not invite you. You are not welcome here! Please leave now!” Isn’t that what satan does? He just slithers in unnoticed and before you know it he has taken up residence like he owns the place or us and then refuses to leave without a fight! Satan also tries to stifle me with fear trying with all His might to get me to forget how powerful God is. His other tactic is to keep my mind so consumed with anything that I get distracted from God and His Word.

One Sunday morning in July, I woke up and went straight to the window for the daily scan. Now, you have to understand that when you’re looking for a snake, you can’t just do a quick glance. No, you must stare intently for several seconds at a particular area looking for the slightest movement because they disguise themselves to blend in with the rocks and grass. I scanned the rocks near the bushes not noticing anything until I saw a slight movement. There before me was a new snake sticking his neck out I guess to see if the coast was clear for him to come out! This one had bright yellow stripes – bright yellow stripes, does that mean very, very poisonous? I think I had tears at this point. I didn’t know what to do, so I ran to my computer and typed in “snakes”. I was taken to a website that had an exact picture of my new pond resident. Thankfully, this one was not poisonous! I was fairly confident that the snakes I had seen up to that point probably were not poisonous either. But, so what!!!! A snake is a snake, and the only good snake is a dead snake! It just happened that the website I went to was for a company right here in Houston who will come out to your house (or wherever) and kill your snakes for you. Wow!!! I wondered how much that would cost me. Friends and family began offering suggestions for me to call the county – apparently, they have to come out and will do it for free; or to call an exterminator – well, my exterminator laughed at me when I asked about something for snakes!

The following Sunday I came home from church as usual and prepared to mow my yard…snakes and all. Repeat after me, “You will tread on serpents and scorpions.” I had just finished mowing the yard and was now weed eating. I did it in that order so the noise of the mower would hopefully scare them away. I had just come out of the courtyard and was weed eating up against the house. Of course, I was looking down at the area I was cutting, and all of a sudden a snake was at my feet! And, it was not one I had seen before…a new one!!! I screamed (no one came to my rescue!) and then started frantically weed eating him. Can you believe that all the weed eater did was flop the snake back and forth, here and there? I had visions of chopping him into a million little pieces with snake blood hitting all over me! Then, I had a thought, "Is the blood of the snake poisonous?". I couldn’t worry about that. I was trying desperately to mutilate this little snake, but to no avail. I finally stopped for a few seconds, and he didn’t move. One more blast just to make sure. I assumed he was unconscious, so I ran as fast as I could to the garage to fetch my shovel so I could finish the job. I feverishly tried with all my might to chop him into as many pieces as I could until I was certain he was dead. He was suffering for all the snakes who had been tormenting me! Finally, the job was done. I scooped up all the pieces and threw all of him into the trash can.

Well, that was it. I was never mowing my yard again. I went inside and cried my eyes out. But, I did remember to thank God for protecting me…that was part of all the crying. Allowing me to literally tread on a snake was an added bonus! As I think about it now, that was the verse I was claiming. What did I expect?

I started thinking about how much energy I was spending on looking for snakes and thinking about snakes. I wondered what my life would be like if I had a ritual every morning and evening of intently combing my life for signs of a "snake".

I found out one of the youth at church was mowing yards, so I hired him to mow mine until further notice! (I did tell him about the snakes, though. He laughed and wasn’t the least bit bothered by it. Really, not even a little?) He mowed my yard a couple of times, and then I started thinking about how I shouldn’t be paying for someone to do my yard just because I’m too scared. I really started feeling like I was letting these snakes and the fear of them defeat me. I knew God’s Word and how many times over the years He had shown me that I can’t live my life in fear. I have to trust Him to take care of me. Well, something happened and my hired escape could not mow my yard anymore. It took me several days to finally muster up the courage to mow because Mr. Yellow Stripes had decided to stay for good. As I was once again looking out my window one morning, preparing myself for the coming Sunday when I was going to have to mow, I noticed another new resident. This one was brown with diamond markings on him. Now, this one just really pissed me off (excuse the expression!). He was basking on MY rocks like he owned the place. Then, he decided to go for a leisurely swim and take a few laps around the pond. After that, he just slithered his way back up onto the rock that he had chosen for his new abode. By this time, watching all of this, I was furious. “Who does he think he is? This is MY pond. I didn’t invite you!”

Well, Sunday came, and I mowed and weed eated the yard with no snake sightings while I was out there. Then, the next week, it was a little easier. My ritual morning and evening scans of the pond are now happening less frequently. I have noticed that the last few times I’ve looked, it appears that Mr. Yellow Stripes, my longest resident, has decided to move on to a new home…unless he (and all of them) are just hiding where I can’t see them. No, I will not go there.

I’m not sure why I’ve had this whole experience, but it has definitely made me more aware of how satan tries to work in my life. I am trying to be more conscious about unwanted thoughts, attitudes and behaviors that are constantly trying to slither in unnoticed and take up residence in my pond! It has also shown me how easily things can consume my mind and grip me with fear which is energy I need to be spending on God and His Word. Satan has to be fought. I have to demand that he flee from my pond knowing that God has given me what I need to tread on him!

For now, the pond seems to be snake free…we’ll see how long that lasts…probably about as long as I can keep my life completely “snake” free!!!