Last night my husband and I were picking up our son from a friend’s house, it was dusk and a large Texas-sized snake was crossing the road. After passing it and shrieking in amazement Derrell decided he would back up and run over it. I thought this was a good teaching moment so I said no wait I want to get out and see it so come on Zach let’s go see one of God’s creations. I jumped out of the car all excited and got a bit too close to the snake for Derrell’s comfort. As he sat in the car and he screamed “don’t get too close and definitely don’t let Zach get close!” But, when, really have I ever listened to Derrell when it involved animals? He has an aversion to animals of all kinds, birds, dogs, cats, prairie dogs, horses, fish, you name it he would prefer he never had to encounter it!
I approached the snake with little regard for the fact that I was in any danger. The snake stopped and looked at me. I said “It’s ok I'm not going to hurt you and I won’t let Derrell run over you” (I felt a little like Harry Potter). The snake appeared to look right through me at this point straight back to my son standing behind me. Zach said “I won’t hurt you either” and with a nod of his head, he slithered away up the curb, onto the sidewalk and into the field. Zach and I followed the snake as it slithered all the way up a tree. I was amazed at how that snake drew me in and how my husband stayed as far away from it as he could!
I could only imagine it was like the fall of Adam and Eve. Adam stayed on the other side of the garden as Eve was amazed and drawn to the power of the snake. God warned her, Adam warned her but still she did not listen. She was more easily deceived than Adam, hence…the fall. At that moment, the power struggles between men and women began. We all suffer from that moment, when she too talked to the snake, then watched it slither up the tree but finally, she believed the snake. Every day women around the world are locked in power struggles with men because Eve did not listen to her husband.
There is good news though, as a woman of God, you don’t have to continue the cycle of sin that Eve created. You can use your influence to persuade others rather than manipulating them. You can use your willingness to cooperate to turn others to the truth. You can use a gentle and kind tone to make a point. How can we as women do what we were designed to do, which is to serve God and be a helpmate to our husbands or the men God has placed in authority over us? It all starts with our attitude to be willing to cooperate, humbly. Dare I take “willingness to cooperate” to the next level, it is voluntary selflessness! How much better of a wife or an employee will you be if you are in a constant state of voluntary selflessness? Well that’s a whole ‘nuther blog!
Don’t follow any snakes today, they can be deceiving! Tam