Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Personal Peace (06/01/06)
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TITLE: SNAKE IN THE GRASS | Previous Challenge Entry
By Stefanie Noonan
06/05/06 -
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ADD TO MY FAVORITES
“Pullin weeds.” answered her seven-year old sister Hannah, on my behalf.
How I loved my salt and pepper daughters. Much the same in spirit and yet uniquely different. One biological and one adopted.
“What you girls doing?” The Oregon haze canopied Brianne’s golden curls that dangled above me.
“Looking for Mr. Snakie.” both girls chimed sadly in unison.
Poor Mr. Snakie had become their pet-of-the-day earning the privilege of being toted about in a Styrofoam box, which had previously held other critters that had met the same misfortune.
“Where’d you see him last?” I asked.
“In the pond.” sighed Brianne.
“Does a gardener snake swim?” I wasn’t sure.
“I poked his head with a stick—to make him swim.”
“You whacked his head!” declared Hannah.
They bantered on as my cell rang. I had been anticipating a call--just not this one.
“Hello. Not interested for the forth time. Please take me off your list…”
“Moneygwubbers! Moneygwubbers!” danced Brianne about the lawn.
“Money grubber not gwubber!” Corrected Hannah.
“…No, I don’t want to talk to your supervisor. I wasn’t requesting, I’m telling you to remove me… Hello? No, I didn’t call you. You called me. She transferred me to you. No, I don’t want to make a donation. No, I’m not interested in that either! I’m going to hang up now…. I’m hanging…I can’t believe it--they hung up on me!”
“Just give ‘em money Mommy.” quipped Brianne lying dizzy on the lawn.
I’d like to give them a piece of my mind. Boiling blood surged through my Christian veins.
“C’mon Mommy, let’s find Mr. Snakie.” tugged Hannah.
“I have to get this weeding done. He’s right where you put him.”
“He wiggled somewhere dead.”
“Hope you find him.” I comforted.
“No you don’t.” Brianne jumped up. “You hated Mr. Snakie!” she snorted with eyes afire. Her trailing voice lamented the loss of her new best friend as her bicycle clunked across the lawn. “SNAKIE! WHERE ARE YOU MR. SNAKIE?”
“Momma, pray for snakie.” Hannah pleaded.
“May he and every snake on this property, forever rest in peace.” I grinned.
“Momma! I’m tellin’ daddy! Daddy’ll pray for Snakie. Daddy weeds his Bible--you don’t. Mean ‘ole mamma.” snuffed Hannah quickly allying with her sister who sat solemnly on the swing.
Moments passed before the air burst with squeals of delight as they swung higher and higher. Their Styrofoam box lay toppled on the lawn momentarily forgotten.
I watched in wonder as they giggled in childhood innocence. That’s when I felt it creep over me. I tried to squash the intruding thought that at times plucked my heart.
Am I enough as a mother? Could I be doing more?
I shuddered to remove the nagging thought unsuccessfully as its scales of anguish washed over me.
She was right. I knew the Bible was my source of strength and yet lately, had seldom parted its pages. Without fail, it was in these times of dryness that the snake in the grass would slither about me with thoughts of self-condemnation and accusations.
I drank in their rain of giggles. Such rascals. Such beauties. A smile washed over my fears.
Thank you Lord for my two little gifts.
Then my eyes saw it. Attached to the door of the house was something blue and orange. Bewildered, I drew closer.
Fastened with still wet Elmer’s glue hung light blue paper with an orange heart scotch taped to its center. It was bordered with the words: “I Love You”, “I Love You”, “I Love You”.
The orange heart bore scribbled messages that melted my heart:
BEST MOM
YOU ARE SEET
SWEET MOM
YOU ARE NINCE
The final line caused my heart to skip a beat.
NEVER STOP LOVEING ME,
FROM HANNAH
Was there a possibility that my adopted daughter truly feared I could stop loving her unconditionally?
I could barely walk fast enough to her at the play set.
“Hannah, thank you for the beautiful note! Mommy loves it! I want you to know that Mommy could never, ever, stop loving you!”
She nodded shyly as we embraced.
In bed, I relived the events of the day. The snake raised its ugly head again as I sighed to the Lord to forgive my shortcomings. In a barely audible whisper I begged the Lord to, “Please never stop loving me.”
His response filled my heart with peace as he quoted me, echoing, “I could never stop loving you.”
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