Wedded Wednesday:Snakes in the Chicken Coop

This short story was in email to me from my friend, Janet Stinson.  It is a true story and happened Sunday night after church.  These are her words, used with permission.

I was trying to get home before dark, this evening, so I could feed and water the animals.  I didn't make it.  I had left the chickens in the coop all day so the hens would get used to laying in the nesting boxes instead of on the ground.  I took a flashlight, put the horses in their stalls and left them to eat while I fed the pigs.  I returned and let the horses out, then decided to check on the chickens and look for eggs.  As I shone the light in the boxes, I had a horrific surprise to find a SNAKE IN THE PROCESS OF EATING AN EGG!!!  My worst nightmare!!  The very thing that makes having chickens dreadful!!  My first thought, after screaming, was "I'm home alone and will have to kill it!"  My second thought was, "Get the camera."  So I ran for the house, grabbed my camera, ran for the sharp shooter shovel, all the while praying loudly, "God give me courage to kill that snake!  Help me to kill it the first time!  Sure strike, in Jesus' name!", repeatedly.

I returned to the snake, snapped a picture, and held the light in my left hand with the shovel in my right. At this point, my heart is pounding in a surreal adrenaline rush and I'm sweating bullets; not blinking lest he should make a move toward me.  But I am resolved.  Proclaiming to the heavens and the snake, "Sure strike, in Jesus' name!"  BAM!  "Sure strike, in Jesus' name!"  BAM!  He's still moving.  Is he writhing in the throes of death or making his getaway?  Not sure.  Hit him again!  "Sure strike, in Jesus' name!"  BAM!  BAM!  BAM!  BAM!  (shudder)  I think he's dead.  Oddly, only within the last few strikes did I break the egg.

I warily lift him with the shovel and throw him into the dogtrot of the barn, pitch out the egg, and take a picture of his mutilated carcass ; slightly disgusted, but very proud of myself.  Already rejoicing in the fact that Donnis will be so proud of me, too.

I hauled him out to the pasture and decided to hang him on the fence as a trophy.  As I'm transporting him, I'm talking out loud, as if the snake can hear me, "Uh-huh!  This will be a warning to any other snake that wants to come around."  He slid off the shovel on the way so I took the opportunity to completely lop off his head.  Just in case he rallies and makes a recovery.

Here are my trophy pictures.  hahaha!  Yeehawww!   I did it.

 

 

 

I know you are wondering what this has to do with marriage but stay with me a few more minutes!  How many times has Satan come in to destroy our marriage?  He is such a snake!  He is always trying to eat away at the blessings and unity in our marriages.  The way we will overcome this is by seeing things for exactly what they are.  For example, all the sudden, out of nowhere, you feel angry or aggravated with your husband all the time for no reason.  (Or maybe it is your husband who is aggravated with you!)  See that snake and kill it by bringing into captivity every thought.

(2 Corinthians 10:5)  Put it up in your mind so you will remember when the other snakes just like it try to come in.

 

 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7  

 

Submit to God by asking him every day to show you how to protect your chicken coop. (Your marriage!)  Ask him to let you see things through His eyes so you know when your marriage is under attack. 

 

I am very afraid of snakes.  I told Janet, when she sent this story to me, that someone else would have to come kill a snake if it was in my chicken coop.  In all seriousness, if it came down to it, I would get passed the fear and protect my chickens and eggs.  (Hopefully, I never have to!  YIKES!)  Janet even said herself that she thought about leaving that snake there.  After all, it was only one egg, right!?!  Then, she realized that if she didn't kill the snake, it would keep coming back.  That one egg could turn into a dozen.  Then before you know it, her family would not be enjoying their fresh yard eggs anymore.  She decided she might never ever catch it in action again to kill it.  Snakes are sneaky like that.  She had to kill it. 

 

Overcome your fear and kill those snakes in your marriage!  Some snakes to watch for are anger, bitterness, disappointment, discontentment, etc.  If you let these things go, thinking it's just this one time, I GUARANTEE you, it will come back.  Once you resist the devil, he will flee!  Trust God that He can make your marriage better than you ever imagined!  Jehovah God is the God of the Impossible!

 

 

CHALLENGE: Think of a way that you could be a blessing to your spouse and put it in to action right now!