Del Rio News Herald

I am still considering the gifts God brought me last month when a beautiful diamondback rattlesnake stopped by my house for a visit.

Through my knowledge of Native American lore, I understand the snake to represent transformation, which for me is the the underlying theme of my spiritual journey.

I think about the rattler shedding his old, worn skin and the way he so naturally grows a new one, and I realize how we are not so different, this lowly brother and me.

He moves slowly and carefully over the earth, his senses finely tuned to interpret his ever changing environment.

This is the way I wish to live.

My prayer is that I might release the layers of myself which are worn out and no longer useful in order to embrace the next phase of growth.

And I hope to move ever mindfully through my days with the clarity to meet each circumstance of life with my heart open wide.

We have much in common in the way we are meant to live, my unexpected messenger and me.

I have shared the story of my rattlesnake adventure with a few other people and each time, the reaction was the same: “Why didn’t you just kill it?”

As I consider our world, I recognize our tendency to want to eliminate the things we find threatening.

But I have been alive long enough to realize that it is not always the outer conditions in life which are the true cause of our discomfort.

The wilderness within us can feel like such a frightening place, especially when we have neglected the pain which naturally accompanies life.

Our animal friends are created to live in a manner which ensures their best possibility for survival.

As human beings, God equips us with more sophisticated capabilities that allow us to attain our maximum potential when we use them well.

Unlike the creatures which roam the earth, we are given the power of thought, reasoning and emotion to help us find our way on this amazing journey.

As I travel down this Homeward road, I am discovering that the biggest threat to our well being is often found inside our hearts.

It is not so with the wild ones, for the path they tread is straight and narrow. Our Father endows them with what they need to live, and they do not stray from His original intention.

Sadly, it is not always so with us. As individuals, we are blessed with the freedom to make choices in every moment which will help determine the very course of our lives.

As a young child, I learned to suppress certain aspects of my humanity that were not valued or respected by the people around me.

In His infinite wisdom, our Maker designs us with the perfect combination of qualities for the full expression of His touch through each person.

But somewhere along the journey, we begin to close ourselves off from the Love which is meant to empower us through every step of our lives.

In my own life, I have done this by trying to avoid having to experience the entire range of my God given ability to feel.

This one unhealthy pattern is enough to upset the delicate balance that He has so carefully woven into our human potential.

When I consider the wild creatures He has made, I am inspired by the simplicity with which they approach their lives.

These unknowing teachers mirror to me how I might live when I can trust enough to become who our Lord intends for me to be.

I want to keep my senses keen like the snake whose survival depends largely upon the ability to perceive danger in his environment.

With me, the threat has been largely internal. But as Jesus heals my heart, I feel safer and more secure in my outer world.

Growing stronger in faith, I am able to face the things in life which I once turned away from in fear.

As He leads me to wholeness, I am better able to embrace each new circumstance as the healing gift that it is, no matter how difficult or uncertain it may seem.

I am finally beginning to see that our Heavenly Father weaves blessings into all of the happenings of our lives.

Like my reptilian neighbor, I want to move through the unexpected turns of my path with an instinctive knowing of the way I must choose.

I appreciate these subtle reminders He brings in the everyday occurrences of my life. It is my desire that I will always remain open and receptive to His loving presence in my world.

A bright morning

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Serving Del Rio and Val Verde County since 1929

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