The Muse is Loose

I trusted the Lord at the age of nine at our annual August Revival at Cavanaugh Missionary Baptist Church in Arkansas. Several folks, kids and adults, found the Lord at that Revival. Then we needed to have a baptizing. The church didn't have a baptistry. That was not uncommon back then. All it meant was that the service would be held in a creek or pond. Our preacher chose a pond. It was held in summer. I guess we all went home in wet clothes because there wasn't any place to change. The preach wore a white shirt with a tie. He rolled his sleeves up, but that didn't make much difference because the rest of him got wet. The candidates also wore white if they could. We linked hands behind the preacher and waded into the pond. The bottom was kinda soft and oozy and a little trail of muddy water came up behind us. It was exciting and different and moving. Everything was great until...I spotted a snake coming through the water. The people along the edge of the pond had disturbed his afternoon nap and he was heading out to deeper water, and that's where we were! There was no panic. Most people never saw it, but I did, and I did not like snakes. Still don't. Anyway, it didn't stop the baptizing. We were all fully immersed and the preacher led us out to towels and careful hugs from family and friends. I've thought of it often. The snake was a reminder that another "Snake" could hardly wait to begin his work to disrupt our new found faith and walk. He is still around. Sixty-six years later that serpent who ruined things at the Garden is still trying to do it. Snakes are no longer a problem at baptizings, inside and all, but lurking in the shadows of the dressing room One is waiting. He never quits. "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman,'Has God indeed said you shall not eat of every tree in the garden....you will not surely die." Genesis 3:1-4