Serpent In The Basement

Serpent in the Basement

“You won’t die!” the serpent [said] to the woman.

Genesis 3:4

When we moved to an old farmhouse with a dank, dark basement, we were warned that snakes could get in through loose-fitting windows.

Shortly after move-in day, my husband took a job driving an overnight drop-off and pick-up delivery route to a nearby town. After the drop-offs he would get a few hours of sleep there, make return deliveries, and arrive home as our daughter was preparing for school. He would eat breakfast, then fall into bed for a few more hours of sleep.

One morning I ventured downstairs to do laundry, checking for any snakes that might be lurking. I threw clothes in the washer and hurried back upstairs just as my husband came in the back door.

Meeting my husband at the top of the stairs, I gasped, “Snake! Snake!” My hands shook as I pointed down the stairs. “There’s a snake down there. I think it went behind the washer. Find it. You have to find it.”

Instead of jumping to the rescue, he gave me the please-let-me-eat-and-go-to-bed look.

“No! No!” I cried. “It’s laundry day. I can’t finish the laundry with a snake on the loose. You have to find it.”

Giving in, he trudged downstairs. After some crashing and banging, he returned. No snake. I pleaded my case again, and down he went. The third time he came up totally wiped out, promising there was no snake anywhere. I smiled brightly, then laughed. “April Fool’s!”

If looks could kill . . .

Today my husband laughs with me when the story is retold. He forgave my deception, just as God, my heavenly Father, forgives me when my words or actions have misled another.

—Marilyn Eudaly

Lord, help me to realize that my actions and words, although in jest, may lead others down a wrong path. Make me a vessel for your good words, not a vessel for the serpent’s deception. Amen.