Devotion Walk By Faith NOT Fear

It is so much easier to follow that which we can see or hear or read. But as Christ followers, though there can be many Christian mentors, we need to remember they are all but pale, fallible copies of the real thing.

Feeling alone can be scary. That's when we need to center our focus not on ME, but on He who died for you and me. Our focus first, last, and always needs to be on our Savior, on testing all by His Word and prayer. If we're afraid to stand up for our faith, we deny our Savior.

With Him we do not need to be afraid for he doesn't let us go.

Deuteronomy 31:6, 8 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD your God goes with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you. ...And the LORD goes before you; he will be with you, he will not fail you, neither forsake you: fear not, neither be dismayed.

We do not need to live in fear when we make Jesus the center of our lives. He is our comfort and refuge as we follow Him.

(c) 2015, 2020 Carolyn R Scheidies
From First I Bow
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Blog Bio Snakes, summer and surprises

I have had quite a history with snakes. I am not talking about snakes in our front and back yard. I am talking about adventures with snakes that somehow manage to sneak into our house and surprise me at the most inopportune times.

I’ve dealt with a huge sake inside the front door and half under the baseboard that looked about ready to deliver who knows how many wiggly baby snakes. I screamed. The only person I could think of in the vicinity was our pastor at his office at the church. I called.

Pastor Dave came with a rake and had that snake out and dispatched before I could take a breath. That was the beginning of my adventure. My contractor brother had his crew fill in the crack between the sidewalk and the front of the house. Nothing coming in that way!

One year a snake suddenly appeared out of the baseboard in the kitchen and slithered behind the refrigerator. I knew snakes hate salt. Out the back door, I’d I poured salt down the opening between the sidewalk and the house and had snakes escaping right and left.

I used that knowledge by opening the garage door (next to the refrigerator) and pouring salt on the kitchen floor to keep the snake out of the rest of the house while giving it a way out. Never saw that snake again.

I had a snake walk me down the hall at night. I sensed I was not alone. When I flipped on the light, there was this little, almost, cute baby snake looking up at me. Eventually, my fear dwindled and I‘d had enough.

Because of my limitations, I keep what I call “helper hooks” around the house. They help me reach, dress and pick things up. Finally, I found one more reptile just inside the front door.

This time I noticed one of my hooks hanging up nearby. My mind flashed to the place I’d been with my family many years earlier in the Black Hills where they handled snakes with hooks. After managing to open the front door, I grabbed my hook, hooked that snake, and threw it outside. I felt a sense of satisfaction.

For a while, I thought I’d seen the end of snakes entering our house. I stopped checking out corners and the doors. All was well. Not quite. So much has happened this year, I really didn’t need one more thing. But, we can’t always control circumstances.

We’ve been pretty much staying home and self-distancing until lately. Instead of shopping, we ordered groceries to be delivered. That morning I saw the vehicle pull up and headed to the door to open it so the delivery person could bring our groceries inside.

Oh no! There was a snake right inside the door—again. I was startled. I screamed for Keith. Even using a cane he responded quickly and, using his cane, had that snake out the door by the time the lady got to the door with our order.

Is my adventure beginning all over again? I hope not, but I am pouring salt around the places these creatures may sneak in. I really don’t like snakes, but considering everything else going on, snakes in the house is, by comparison, creepy, but not earth-shaking.

They aren’t poisonous snakes after all. Besides, I am reminded that they, as are we, God’s creations and whatever snakes are in my house or life, I can be thankful that He’s got this.

© 2020 Carolyn R Scheidies
Published in Kearney Hub 6/22/2020 as Snakes don’t shake me up anymore
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