Last Updated on March 20, 2018
In the last sixty days I have encountered three snakes at my feet. What I have learned has impacted me body and soul.
The first time, was at my brother’s ranch where my hubby, I, and three kids were kicking back for the weekend. On the front lawn, the two boys and I were playing toss with the football. When the youngest missed a long pass we thought he could make, I yelled, “You gotta catch that ball.”
He yelled back, “You’re right. I know. I just got distracted looking at that orange snake I kept running by.”
There within a few feet of my son was a six foot copperhead snake.
I hollered to my husband, “Steven come quickly. We found a snake!” Standing about a hundred yards away, he yelled back, “You can kill it.” And pointed toward a hoe nearby.
Within minutes I was swinging wildly, decapitating the trespasser. Finally, huffing and puffing, I turned around and saw Steven standing beside the boys. All were a good fifteen feet back from wild-swinging mama. “I knew you could do it,” he said, his face lit with pride.
***
The second time, it was Steven’s birthday. We’d planned to clean the house, wrap a few gifts, and bake a birthday cake, all while Dad was at work before going out to dinner to celebrate. With the mixer going, I called for my son to a retrieve a gift bag that was stored in the coat closet.
“Mom, there is a snake in the house!”
I sighed, thinking I didn’t have time for these teenage pranks. Opening the closet door there was indeed a snake . . . a SIX FOOT brown snake!
I phoned my brother who came over in a flash. When he arrived we opened the closet door but the snake was gone! My brother said, “You have to keep your eye on snakes, or better yet, kill them when you have the chance, or they’ll slither away and hide.”
Yikes! I had to find it. Everything in the coat closet had to be searched. No luck. “Snakes slither under doors and up walls,” my brother announced. Everything under the stairs adjacent to the closet had to be taken outside and searched. Within hours our house’s belonging were being emptied on the front yard.
“I didn’t think we were going to clean out the house for Dad’s birthday,” my teenage son quipped.
Exhausted, with no cake baked and the house in total disarray, I thought I had better phone Steven and prepare him for his birthday welcome.
Fortunately my youngest was in the car with dad, coming home from a friend’s house, and heard the disappointing news. “Dad I’ll pray about this.” And he did.
Meanwhile, the other kids and my brother cleaned up while I went to take a shower and get dressed for the evening. There was nothing we could do but wait for the snake to show itself again. Within a few minutes of Steven arriving, I grabbed a shovel feeling like I should go check the coat closet one more time. To my surprise there was Mr. Snake!
Whack! Whack! I made sure the snake didn’t slither near my high heels. When Steven drove into the driveway I said, “I took care of the snake.” He smiled, “I knew you could do it.”
***
The third time was today. I was to record from home a webinar about God’s grace. Getting out of my car I eyed a snake heading toward the garage door. I didn’t need to call for help. I knew exactly what to do. Keep your eye on the snake. Pray. Don’t hesitate. Kill it. Go for the head, you can crush it.
Walking in, my spiritual bridegroom whispered to my heart, “I knew you could do it.”
Pam Davis is the founder of Girls ‘n Grace and Grace ‘n Christ, ministries that reveal “Christ in you” to varying age levels, from girls 7+ to adults, through designer dolls, books she has authored, matching doll and girl’s clothes, events and speaking engagements. Besides a baseball wife (her husband Steve is a previous Major League Pitcher) and mother, Pam is a national speaker. You can visit her ministries at GirlsnGrace.com, GracenChrist.com, or Pam-Davis.com
Our God is greater, our God is stronger! This was so inspiring to read!
Snakes slither into our lives a lot of time unannounced and we don't see them. They hide in places that we go into but not always look around. That is how sin can enters our lives also. It creeps in when we are least expecting it. It hides in places that we don't always search through. Unless we kill it right away it stays there and takes up root in our life. Makes a new home.
Thanks for sharing this 🙂 makes we thankful I am not living in an area where snakes are the norm.
Thank you for the "Brave" comment. It took redefining my dark ages view of what it meant to be a woman. Here is food for thought:
Some people's definition of "woman" reads with words to merely describe her body. If this is the case then they have embraced the Old English definition of wīfman, wife + man human being, which dates back before the 12th century. However, if your definition reads with words such as intelligent, resilient, not breaking down when faced with adversity, and facing the enemy head on, then you are not only accurately describing today's Christian woman, but you are also describing a warrior, a person engaged energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict.
I think it is important to remember that we have the right to take actions against anything that would threaten us or our families, especially it the threat attempts to violate the home. That being said, I am a woman and a hunter who has come across many snakes in the wild. While the word 'serpent' is an excellent one to ascribe to an entity of harm and malice, I want to take the time to say something for the legless reptiles of Georgia's woods.
According to Peterson's Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants, there are eight types of venomous snakes native to the south-eastern United States. There are easily three times as many non-venomous species and venomous or not, each snake fulfills his or her roll by controlling the mice and rat populations. Kingsnakes are a non-venomous species of snake that will actually prey on the venomous kind, such as Copperheads and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes.
Woman, we have just as much a right to protect our homes from invaders both animal and human. However, while we are in the great outdoor, in His home, we need to remember that He made snakes as well, along with all the other creatures we see.
I really should have spell checked before I posted. In the second sentence I meant to write "especially when the threat attempts to violate the home."
You are definitely braver than I am, but now I know I COULD do it if I had to. 🙂
Both spiritually and physically inspiring. Thank you so much. We are living in a society where our daughters are surrounded by marketing images that depict silly, shallow girls that put designer clothing, makeup and celebrity status above God's wisdom. Sometimes we forget how strong we were created to be and that we can actually kill a snake, even while wearing lipgloss. lol
What a great read. Thank you so much. Our fear of real snakes makes us fearful of the spiritual ones that turn up. I think the death rules are the same chop the head off and kill it on the first visit once and for all time. Have taken it on board many thanks for this valuable pearl.