But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:3 KJV
After much procrastination and reluctance, I finally mowed my grass yesterday. It seems that lately, the opportunities I’ve had to mow have been diffused by either the inconvenience of working night shift or by the unmerciful rainstorms that seem to transpire during my “free time.” Nonetheless, I decided to bite the bullet and spend some quality time with the Bolens 5.0 Torque push mower to keep up with my neighbors’ expectations. Result: the front yard looks very nice today (except for the heaps of cut grass that should be, but won’t be raked), however the backyard shall remain lush and overgrown until further notice. I was feeling confident and encouraged remembering how nice the front yard looked, I pulled the mower backwards past the patio area and saw it. Black, vermicular, lubricious. It’s onyx scales glistened in the evening sun as every fiber of my being came unglued. I’m sure the neighbors appreciated their newfound quiet, no longer interrupted by the noxious melody of the mower, but I’m also positive that I came out on top of that deal, finding the safety of the indoors much more favorable.
After much procrastination and reluctance, I finally mowed my grass yesterday. It seems that lately, the opportunities I’ve had to mow have been diffused by either the inconvenience of working night shift or by the unmerciful rainstorms that seem to transpire during my “free time.” Nonetheless, I decided to bite the bullet and spend some quality time with the Bolens 5.0 Torque push mower to keep up with my neighbors’ expectations. Result: the front yard looks very nice today (except for the heaps of cut grass that should be, but won’t be raked), however the backyard shall remain lush and overgrown until further notice. I was feeling confident and encouraged remembering how nice the front yard looked, I pulled the mower backwards past the patio area and saw it. Black, vermicular, lubricious. It’s onyx scales glistened in the evening sun as every fiber of my being came unglued. I’m sure the neighbors appreciated their newfound quiet, no longer interrupted by the noxious melody of the mower, but I’m also positive that I came out on top of that deal, finding the safety of the indoors much more favorable.
The incident just made me wonder - why did this snake have to cross my path? Was this simply luck of the summertime draw or one of those things that happens for a reason? In the Bible, God curses and punishes the serpent for deceiving Eve by forcing him onto his “belly,” thus chastising the snake with defeat and utmost humiliation for his malificent intentions. I started thinking, what “snakes” have I allowed into my life? What serpents are lurking, waiting to strike me at a weak point? Allow me to clarify, these people are not completely bad. They’re often very wise, observant, and powerful because of the mysteriously intimidating reputation they carry. I found mine and red-flagged him today, and in retrospect, he measured up to all of the forementioned characteristics. Stunning and beautiful from a distance, yet dangerous and almost feared when I let him get close to me. He found me when my confidence overshadowed my weakness, and my personal life took a temporary evanescent plunge.
The intention of this post is not to shed negative light on any specific individual, but instead to emphasize that we must always be aware of the company we keep. Furthermore, we have to be true to ourselves and what we know. I recently discovered a quote from novelist James Arthur Baldwin that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind… “Experience, which destroys innocence, also leads one back to it.” My experience caused me to leave behind the simplicity that I knew, but eliminating him from my life will lead me back to what I have known and will know about myself and my life in general. The simplicity and purity of Jesus' message is one that we must continually strive for in our hearts, and just that will prevail in our relationships, without the influence of those sneaky snakes.
PS. Daddy’s coming tomorrow to help with the lawn.
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