Walking in faith

As beautiful as these abbey grounds are, it is somewhat disconcerting to walk them with warnings of it being a snake breeding ground and also seeing hundred upon hundreds of holes bored into the dirt. At the suggestion of a someone who lives here,I asked my friend to join me for a walk along the river on an overgrown path for the Stations of the Cross. We walked and we talked, immersed in our conversation, when I looked down at my next step and saw a brown snake coiled up, perfectly camoflaged in the dirt and clumps of grass. My heart leaped and I screamed, grabbing Diana's arm and high stepping it out of there. "What are we running from?" She managed to eek out among our panting breaths. When I told her it was a snake, and possibly a rattler, she asked to see it, so we slowly crept back. There it was, undisturbed by our terror, remaining in its coiled up place along the edge of the path.

Back in the safety of our building, we asked others about it to see what they thought. "Since it didn't rattle, it was probably a Bull snake. Those are good since they eat Rattlesnakes". At least two people said these exact words. Now I wonder, how that could possibly comfort me??? Would you feel better knowing your sandaled foot had squashed a Bull rather than a Rattlesnake?


- Posted from my iPad