Poisonous Thoughts

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot," -Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

When startled I scream, which explains why I didn't get a photo of the copperhead hiding in my garden the other morning and have to use a photo from several years ago of one in our driveway.  Through the years I've been startled by other copperheads, black snakes, milk snakes, and garden (garter) snakes in my garden.  The copperhead is poisonous so it is the only one that we kill (I say "we"--Ken does the deed--I am only complicit).  Its bite could kill our dog who roams my gardens, so it is not welcomed here!  We had a neighbor get bitten several years ago while rebuilding his rock wall.  He ended up in the hospital.

My latest copperhead was not nearly this large.  It was coiled up asleep, I presume, because it did not move during the entire encounter.   I was cutting away and pulling out spent flowers to tidy up my garden.  I never would have seen it if I hadn't parted the foliage in order to plant the flowers I was transplanting.  So when I read today's scripture I had to ask myself about the seasons of my life.  When things in my life are uprooted and I am called to plant elsewhere are there things that might get uncovered that are poisonous?  I did not have to think long to have my answer:  my thoughts.  Poisonous thoughts lie sleeping waiting to strike when awakened.  Poisonous thoughts include anything outside of God's love for me:  self-condemnation, self-pity, excuses, and blaming are the ones that immediately come to mind.  I've known this to be true, but God obviously wanted to SHOW me how my thoughts lurk in the underbrush, seemingly asleep, but only waiting to be stirred into striking out at me.

I am grateful for lessons that make their point without lasting repercussions.