I gasped and froze, one foot in front of the other, not daring to complete the step. A reptile was eight feet ahead of me on my walking path! He was black and about three feet long. He was napping in a shallow puddle of water while the spring sun baked his top side. I stood in my frozen position for a few minutes and watched the snake. I couldn’t detect any movement.

Maybe he’s dead, I mused. Or maybe he’s just in a deep sleep.

I wasn’t taking any chances. Some Alabama snakes chase you if you disturb them. I slowly moved far to the left of the path and tiptoed past the snake. He never even noticed me. I rushed home to Facebook about the “python” I had met.

It took two weeks for me to muster the courage to walk on that path again. But when I did, guess who was waiting for me! The same snake in the same position in the now dried up puddle.

“He has to be dead!” I exclaimed to nobody but me.

I picked up a stick, just in case he wasn’t, and inched toward him. I stopped about six feet away and stared—no movement. I inched another foot closer—still no movement. I inched to four feet between me and the snake—I could see something shiny and curvy by his head.

What is that? I wondered.

A few more steps and the shiny curvy thing came into focus. It was a metal “s” hook. And the metal “s” hook was attached to a black, three-foot long, rubber stretch cord… better known as the “python.”

Consider the scary thing that has you frozen on your path. If you inch forward for a closer look, is it possible that it might not be so scary after all?

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“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you” (Deuteronomy 31:6 MSG).