I had a very scary close encounter years ago with an E.T. at our first house. No, I didn’t come across any Extra Terrestrials such as Mr. Spock, Yoda or ALF. I came across a creature that some would label as “Extra Terrifying!”
In our other house, my washer and dryer were originally down in the basement. They had been for years. That arrangement worked just fine until my knees decided to dislike me all the time instead of just occasionally. I could no longer lug the heavy baskets of clothes up and down the stairs. Not only was it painful, but my knees were giving out more as I tried. So, there was only one thing to do.
Tim and my stepfather moved my washer and dryer out of the basement and onto the back porch. Actually, it was more like a sunroom. Anyway, the kitchen was on the other side of one of the walls, so they were able to hook up the water lines and drain for my washer. It worked well until one fateful day.
It was early one evening as I was finishing up the laundry. The porch was hot, so I opened the back door to let some cooler air inside. Then I turned on the dryer and went back inside. About twenty-minutes later, I bounced out the door with a laundry basket in my hands. I plopped it down in front of the dryer. That’s when something rose up to greet me face to face.
“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matthew 10:16 (KJV)
Most people have heard the stories of the serpent from Genesis and Exodus. But in the above verse, it is depicted a little differently. Back in biblical days, they recognized that snakes were very cunning. Jesus created the snake, so He knew just shrewd they were and still are.
That’s why He advised his apostles they should be just as wise as they go out into the world. But that is the only characteristic of the snake they should have. He also told them to be peaceful as doves. So, as you go out into a more and more godless world, keep your wits about you without causing harm. This is one of the things that sets us believers apart from others.
Speaking of wisdom, or should I say the lack of, I realized it was totally my fault that the black snake had slithered into the back porch. I had left the back door open as the air cooled. Being cold blooded, the snake crawled toward a source of heat and curled up in front of it. It was by the grace of God that I didn’t plop my basket down on top of it. If I had, I could’ve been bitten.
As the snake and I looked at each other, I slowly backed up and went inside the house and calmly told Tim and Sara, “Hey, there’s a snake in the back porch.”
“SNAKE!” They both yelled at the same time. I think their hair actually stood up.
“Why aren’t you more afraid?” Sara asked.
I shrugged my shoulders and answered, “It doesn’t have eight legs.”
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.