Be Careful Where You Walk!

The other day, my gorgeous fiance, Nathan, and I were hiking up to Annapolis Rocks in Maryland.  It was the site of our engagement last April and only one month until our wedding day!  What an appropriate thing to do, even it it was 100 degrees outside! :)  We thought of the dangers of the day--the high heat and humidity and the suns rays--and thought that we would take measures to keep ourselves safe.  We put on sunscreen and brought lots of water and set out on our way!

As we walked along the trail, we encountered a group of people who told us about a snake about a 1/2 mile down the trail.  They said it was a rattlesnake and they decided to turn back before making it to the cliff to see the spectacular view.  But we kept walking.  Of course, Nathan found a big stick and walked in front of me for the rest of the way.  We were careful, but we wanted to make it to the top!  The top is the reward for all the huffing, puffing, and sweating to make it up the mountain!  So, we were diligent to watch for the snake.  I looked on one side of the trail and Nathan looked on the other side, while he carried the big stick.  We made it to the top without seeing the snake!  And the view was gorgeous! 

After a while, we decided to go to the spring, which neither of us had ever seen.  It was just a short walk further than where we were.  All of the sudden, Nathan screamed at me to run, so I did.  I got a little way up the trail and I noticed Nathan ran the opposite direction.  In the middle of us, on the trail, was a northern  copperhead snake!  It's poisonous and VERY difficult to see with all of its camouflaged markings.  Apparently, I was just inches from stepping on him when Nathan spotted it and screamed at me!  Praise the Lord that he didn't bite me or Nathan!!  It would have been very difficult to make the 2.2 mile trip back to the car and get medical attention!

We both thought about this event later.  Not only did God protect us, but he protected us when we were not on guard.  On the way up the trail, we were watching for danger.  We were on guard to protect each other from the danger.  But somewhere along the way, we let our guard down.  We forgot that we were in a place with dangers all around us and we decided just to be "in the moment" having fun, which is when the REAL danger slithered in front of us!  What a great metaphor for life!  Those of us who are Christians get complacent sometimes.  I think we understand there are dangers all around us--temptations, etc.--but we forget about them.  We let down our guard.  We forget to protect ourselves and each other from the enemy's attacks.  But what's great is that the Lord never sleeps; he never stops guarding us.  When we are in tune with the Lord, we hear his warnings and we are protected.  If Nathan had not been with me or if I had not been paying attention to the sound of his voice, I would have stepped on the snake.  I could have died, actually.  But because I heard his voice, I avoided the danger.  In the same way, we have to hear the voice of the Lord, listen to his warnings in our life and obey what he says.  I didn't know why Nathan told me to run, but I did it anyway.  I trusted that he was telling me to move for an important reason because I know he loves me and only wants the best for me. 

Are you hearing the voice of God today?  Are you listening for the sound of his voice?  Are you obeying his direction, even when you cannot understand why he's telling you to move?