The Undead Snake

One of the 44 trestles on the VCT

 A couple years ago, Glen and I decided we would hike the Virginia Creeper Trail.  

This old railway trail has been converted into a biking and hiking trail.  It is 32 miles long, begins in Abingdon, VA, and ends in Whitetop, VA, close to the Virginia/North Carolina State Line.

We had been on this trail before when we were doing a section hike on the Appalachian Trail. For several miles, the VCT and the AT share the same path. This exposure to the VCT led us back in the summer of 2023.

The VCT has 44 trestles along the 32 miles of trail, which makes this trail special.  Some of these trestles cross creeks and rivers, and some cross ravines.  I love the fact that they are each numbered, so you can easily keep up with which ones you have crossed.

We were crossing one of these trestles when I noticed a black snake on one side. I observed the snake for a bit and ensured I was well out of its way, but the snake never moved. I did not see the slightest movement, and I remember telling Glen, "Look, this poor snake died up here on the trestle."

We continued our hike, which was to be an "out and back," which meant we would go out a particular distance and then turn around and retrace our steps to where we began.

I didn't want to see the snake again because I thought it was so sad.  Imagine my surprise when we reached that trestle and the snake was still there but in a different place!  The snake hadn't been dead, merely resting.  Or perhaps feigning death as a protection from predators.

When I remembered this the other day, it made me think that just because we think something is dead doesn't make it true. There are so many times in our lives when we think something is dead—some hope, dream, or prayer. But it isn't. God just isn't finished with it yet.

Because we live totally in the realm of time, we forget that the Lord is eternal. He had a plan for mankind before He created the world. His plan includes everything—me, you, and everything about us.  

"My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me." Psalm 31:15

One of my daughters frequently says, "Trust the process."  This is exactly what our attitude toward the Lord should be. Trust Him.  He knows everything about everything, and we do not.  Or, as our dear friend Wayne emphatically states, "God is God, and we ain't!"

"O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; 

for His mercy endureth for ever."

1 Chronicles 16:234