Sometimes a Snake Is Just a Snake

In case you’re curious about this one, where it came from, I just saw a stick out of my peripheral vision. Not to sound overly paranoid, a stick is something you pay attention to if it appears on your patio in the heat of a South Carolina summer. However, it still has not moved and appears to have bark, so I’m safe for now.


It must be a sign! How many times do I say that in a week? Jumping onto the supernatural bandwagon and overanalyzing are two of my worst habits. Perhaps the combination is a good one. I usually read way too much into things that happen; but the overanalyzing brings me back into focus.

If I see two deer on the side of the road (and manage not to hit one of them), I assume it’s God sending me a hug. (Actually, I still believe that is usually the case.) But if I’m on a highway and they’re on a corner, do I really need to question whether that’s a turn God wants me to make, that there’s something waiting for me to do down that road? Probably not.

Steve and I were looking for a house in Virginia. I became convinced that we belonged in a particular house simply because there was a copy of “Pride and Prejudice” lying on an upstairs hall table. Never mind that Steve just didn’t like the house. I loved the book and so it must be our house.

So when I saw a snake on the day Mom died, I knew there was some deep, dark message involved.

In order not to sound at all callous about my mother whom I dearly love, let me preface with some information. She had a wicked sense of humor – dry, to the point, and in your face brutal. I loved it. So when she died on a Halloween morning, I called it her last joke. Her saying to me, “Just try to forget me now!” We were so close and yet, my grieving for her didn’t start for a few weeks because I was filled with peace that passes all understanding. I was excited for what she was now experiencing and who she was now spending time with.

After my aunt called and told me, I made my phone calls while walking around my deck and my stone patio. As I walked across the flagstone, I looked down to see a very small snake wiggling his way across the gray.

I’ve told the story since, because it sounds so dramatic. My mom was gone; I’ve been quite open about feeling the need to pick up and carry on her ministry. And there was a snake! In cold weather, almost-November northern Virginia! This must mean something completely ominous.

In truth, the little fella just wandered out from some warm leaves and under the edge of my hoe. (I would feel a little sorry for him…but he was a snake.) Sometimes, my day is brutal because I’m starting a new ministry and Satan is throwing up roadblocks to try to stop it. Sometimes, my day is bad because I’m cranky.

How do I tell the difference? How do I know the source of all these good and bad “signs?” If I’m staying close to God, reading His Word, communicating with Him deeply, honestly and often, I usually know when the Holy Spirit is trying to get my attention.

The other stuff? The bad? I look inside. If it’s my attitude, I concentrate on changing it. If it seems okay in my heart, then it really doesn’t matter the source. I just keep my attention where it belongs and enjoy the deer sightings.

Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.