We have all had that moment when the enemy has tried to stop us from doing God’s work. When the enemy puts thorns and thistles on your path to God’s grace and tries to keep you from that greatness on the other side. When you come home to hear how your son has had a hard day with the bullies at school. When your step-daughter had a tough day at the gym and came home feeling unworthy and frustrated. When you make a mistake at work and feel embarrassed and ashamed. And, when you are supposed to be a loving Christian to all around you, only to realize you are being judgmental and a hypocrite.

The enemy, doing what he does best, fills you with fear, shame, and guilt, and wants you to turn your eyes away from Jesus.

The Backstory

This is precisely what happened to me, I had been stressed and overwhelmed, and the enemy was attacking me in all areas of my life.  Beating me up and hitting me on all sides. It was then, while I was at my church’s annual women’s beach retreat that the overwhelmed feeling finally consumed my every thought. I cried every day that I was there and felt ashamed and even embarrassed by my situation.  I didn’t want to let these ladies know how broken and helpless I was feeling, even though these ladies are the exact people I needed, a group of 75 prayer warriors.  I felt a strong pull from God to just let it go, and give it all back to him.

The night before I had opened my heart and soul to these ladies and asked for their help, we cried and prayed, and worshiped as a group. When I woke up the next morning I needed to find my peace with God, to “lay my Isaac down” and give the situation over to Him.

My Blocked Path

Just when I was trying to give it all back to God, the enemy decided he was going to literally block my path and keep me from the worship and prayer I so desperately needed.

Well…
On my walk down to the beach, alone and on a mission, I am stopped frozen in my tracks.

On the boardwalk, about halfway down to the beach, is a snake. Literally, a large 5-ish foot snake, blocking the path.  I almost died, not literally because it wasn’t venomous, but my heart jumped out of my chest and I felt as close to what I would call a heart attack as I could imagine. Below is the picture I took that day.

As I stood there, on the boardwalk about 25 ft away from my enemy, repeating to myself, “you have got to be kidding me,” I started to try and figure out how I was going to get down to the beach without dying. Was I going to tightrope walk down the railing over the dunes? No, of course not, I am not graceful, and I have terrible balance which would result in me falling off the railing 6 feet down to the dunes where there is probably even more snakes, so that wasn’t an option. Should I turn around and try to find another path? No, they are all too far away down the beach, and I didn’t have enough time.

I look up, at God, and let him know that I was trying to get to Him, to get down to the beach with my music and prayer ready to go. I look again at God, well I look upwards again, and point out the fact that the devil has put a snake in my path to keep me from Him. Of course, I am sure God knows this already, but I was not thinking correctly. I kindly ask God to move the snake from my path because I know at this rate, He is the only one that can do it.

My Plan

At this point in the story, you realize that I, myself, will not be trying to move the snake. I will wait patiently, possibly forever, for this thing to move, but I really would like God to do it now so that I can do my thing with Him. And he did, after about 5 mins and a lady, coming the opposite way down the boardwalk and throwing her visor at it, the snake slowly made its way through the cracks of the boardwalk and on its way. After which, I ran, quickly, across the place the snake retreated, and finally succeeded in this journey.

My Point

But, seriously, I hate snakes, they terrify me. I want to believe the “all God’s creatures” saying, but I can’t do snakes. I don’t want them all to be banished from earth, but I do not want to see them, ever. But for real, a physical barrier, that the enemy placed between myself and my God. Could it have been more obvious? After the initial fear, and after I made my way to the beach, I laughed. The enemy is funny y’all. If he thought that snake was going to keep me from my God, he was wrong. One way or another, I was going to spend my time with my God, beach or not. But God had my back, like always. He removed the barrier blocking me from my path, from my journey with Him.

We have a mighty God, one who will move mountains for you, or snakes from your path, anything that might be keeping you from Him and all His glory. He can do it, and He will.

This path that God has placed me on, sometimes blocked by the enemy and his lies, I see His mighty power. He is a good God, and His love for us is more than we deserve at times.

I thank God, every day for all He has given me in this life, for I could never deserve all the love He gives me. Thank you God.