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After schooling, Christian often wants to go fishing. Recently, instead of fishing in the retention pond, we’ve started fishing behind a friend’s house, who lives on a chain of lakes. The dock looks out over a small lake surrounded by woods. It’s a peaceful place to fish, and we both enjoy baiting our hooks and casting out.

Although, yesterday, I couldn’t stay with him, so on the way to the lake, we talked about snakes and gators. Christian likes to pet the racers in our yard, so I instructed him about the fierceness of momma Moccasins.

I helped him carry his gear down to the dock, and told him I’d be back in a couple of hours. I looked back before turning the bend, and he’d already hooked his worm and cast his line.

After an hour passed, I decided to check on Christian. I drove up the road to find him sitting on his tackle box, at the retention pond instead.

“What happened?” I said.

He rushed up the hill and threw his gear in the truck, as if his pants were on fire.

“A snake tried to get me on the dock,” he said.

“What type of snake?”

“Big black one, swam over to the dock and started climbing up. I hit it with my rod, and it swam off. Then, I saw a gator. I’m not fishing there anymore.”

I laughed and rustled his hair, for I realized my mistake…I scared my son.

Christian’s snake was probably an innocent water snake looking for a place to get dry, and ended up with a headache. My talk with Christian put his focus on the danger, rather than the beauty of the lake.

If I hadn’t felt the need to share my vast knowledge of snakes, he might have pushed the snake off the dock, and continued fishing. He would have reaped the blessing of a huge cat fish, or big mouth bass. Instead, he caught nothing but the willies.

I thought how often do we sabotage ourselves? Instead of trusting in the power of God, we focus on our fears. Instead of enjoying a relationship with Christ, we worry over being good enough. Do we wear the loud cloak of knowledge, when we could wear the humble coat of wisdom? Do we fear Satan more than we trust God?  How often do we deny ourselves blessings, because we are too busy searching for the pitfalls?

Today, I will be buying some extra worms and crickets, for I know where my afternoons will be spent… helping my son get over the willies.