Fear of Snakes

Today, one of the barn staff let me know he had just seen a rattlesnake crawl away from him toward the arena where I was riding. I promptly became very alert to my surroundings. All was well and there was no snake sighting. Insert relieved face emoji. 

I instantly recalled one of my dad’s rattlesnake stories from when he was a young guy. My dad grew up on a ranch in Wyoming, so he had plenty of snake stories! He had shimmied into a cave to check it out. As he was on his way out, he realized he had somehow missed the rattlesnake curled up snoozing right next to the opening of the cave. I would always ask: “What did you do, Daddy?” In specific detail (at almost 95 years old) he would tell how he quietly inched around the snoozing snake and made his way out into the sunlight. This. Still. Freaks. Me. Out.

Whether it’s a fear of a snake, a fear of the future or crippling thoughts that paralyze us, we don’t have to live in fear. Honestly, I find such comfort in this verse related to fear “Perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4:18) This verse isn’t about our love for God, but about God’s love for us. His love for us is perfect. As a result, we don’t have to live in fear, because we are confident that God loves us perfectly. He is the One who knows the answer to our every fear and will come alongside us and fight for us.

Just this morning, (yes, the very same morning I was told there was a snake) I freaked out in fear. Where was my husband? I couldn’t get a hold of him. I called and called. Why the panic? Because, in the back of my mind, I’m thinking about my husband’s past accident and my neighbor’s recent accident. And fear gripped me. Everything was just fine, but why did fear take over my mind so quickly?

God is teaching me to fear less and trust Him more. It’s in these these moments that I can turn to mind over to God who will calm me in the midst of my fear and anxiousness. The problem is that we try to handle our fears ourselves and it becomes a trainwreck. When I place my focus on the fear, the fears only grow. As I do this, God becomes small. Here’s the kicker: I can choose to NOT fear.  You can too. Will you and I trust God with our fears?

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; don’t be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 NIV

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14

 Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.