This story took place last October while I was in Thailand. Truly a life changing experience...
---
I thought I had a clue what I was getting myself into, but really I didn't.
600 miles on a motorbike is a long trip...
We were going to visit Travis's school, and I knew it was going to be a trip unlike any other...
But I had no idea how different it would be!
We started off in the evening and drove till midnight...
Then we stopped in a Songthow stop to sleep for a few hours. (Essentially it's a few benches with a roof over it where people can wait to ride on a truck called a songthow. It's one of the most common local forms of public transportation.)
At 4:30 AM we took off down the road again...
We drove for about 12 hours, and then stopped to spend the night with one of Travis's friends.
After supper, they laid some pads on the floor for us, and we promptly went to sleep...
And then life got interesting!
I woke up, sat straight up and became aware of a severe pain on my back.
Instinctively I vigorously brushed my hand across my back hoping that the pain would stop...
But it didn't!
So I brushed my hand again, and the pain stopped...
I realized at that moment that something had bitten me!
I heard it moving away from me and I knew I needed to figure out what it was, so I grabbed my flashlight and shone it where the noise was...
And then I saw it...
A small snake moving very quickly away from me!
I only saw it for about a second, so I couldn't identify what kind of snake it was...
There are some really poisonous snakes in Thailand, and as the realization came to me that I just got bit by a snake, I couldn't help but wonder if I would die in a few minutes.
What would you do in that situation?
I prayed a very short, concise, desperate prayer... And then decided it was time to wake up Travis.
Trying to not wake up the other people in the house, I said... "Travis, Travis! Wake up!"
He didn't move a muscle or even stir in his sleep...
Very shortly I realized that that wasn't working, so I decided that vocal and physical stimulation was needed, so I started poking him, and telling him to wake up!
That worked better.
He opened his eyes and looked at me, and then he closed his eyes again...
So I decided to pull out all the stops...
"Travis! I've been bit by a snake!"
That worked!
He sat straight up and said "WHAT?!"
I asked him to look at my back and see if he could see the bite marks...
So I pulled my shirt down from the neckline and he looked, and then said that it wasn't poisonous...
Phew! That's good!
And then he said, "Actually I didn't see any bite marks, I think you're just feeling things."
I assured him that I felt the snake bite me and there was no mistaking it!
So I had him look farther down my back, and sure enough there was the bite mark.
Thankful for confirmation of the bite, I sat there wondering if the shooting pain I felt from that area was in my imagination. (It felt something like a bee sting only worse.)
Travis started looking under his pad to make sure there weren't any more snakes hanging around, and then stated that we should go back to sleep!
It took awhile, but I finally did go back to sleep.
The next morning I woke up and the first thing I thought was: "I'm alive!" What a wonderful feeling!
When Travis woke up I asked him to look at the bite location again to see what was there.
He looked and saw two fang marks.
That means it was a poisonous snake!
I looked at Travis and said: "You mean to tell me that I was bit by a poisonous snake last night and I'm still alive?"
There isn't a human explanation for it.
I was bit by the snake, I felt venom going in, yet there was no swelling, and no lasting ill effects!
My best explanation is that God sent some angels to plug those fangs and only let a little bit of venom in...
Just enough to make me realize that it's a miracle...
It is only because of God's power that I'm alive right now, which means that He has a plan for me...
If satan had his way, I'd be dead... But God's not through with me.
And because God saved my life for a reason, the only thing I can give in return is myself...
---
What about you? You don't have to have a near death experience to serve God...
Jesus died on the cross to save you from sin! We all are bought with a price, the magnitude of which, we can't even comprehend!
Jesus gave His life for you, what are you willing to give for Him?
I have found that the only way to find true joy is to follow Jesus...
And I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to exchange short-term pleasure, for eternal joy and peace...
Which will you choose?
---
I thought I had a clue what I was getting myself into, but really I didn't.
600 miles on a motorbike is a long trip...
We were going to visit Travis's school, and I knew it was going to be a trip unlike any other...
But I had no idea how different it would be!
We started off in the evening and drove till midnight...
Then we stopped in a Songthow stop to sleep for a few hours. (Essentially it's a few benches with a roof over it where people can wait to ride on a truck called a songthow. It's one of the most common local forms of public transportation.)
At 4:30 AM we took off down the road again...
We drove for about 12 hours, and then stopped to spend the night with one of Travis's friends.
After supper, they laid some pads on the floor for us, and we promptly went to sleep...
And then life got interesting!
I woke up, sat straight up and became aware of a severe pain on my back.
Instinctively I vigorously brushed my hand across my back hoping that the pain would stop...
But it didn't!
So I brushed my hand again, and the pain stopped...
I realized at that moment that something had bitten me!
I heard it moving away from me and I knew I needed to figure out what it was, so I grabbed my flashlight and shone it where the noise was...
And then I saw it...
A small snake moving very quickly away from me!
I only saw it for about a second, so I couldn't identify what kind of snake it was...
There are some really poisonous snakes in Thailand, and as the realization came to me that I just got bit by a snake, I couldn't help but wonder if I would die in a few minutes.
What would you do in that situation?
I prayed a very short, concise, desperate prayer... And then decided it was time to wake up Travis.
Trying to not wake up the other people in the house, I said... "Travis, Travis! Wake up!"
He didn't move a muscle or even stir in his sleep...
Very shortly I realized that that wasn't working, so I decided that vocal and physical stimulation was needed, so I started poking him, and telling him to wake up!
That worked better.
He opened his eyes and looked at me, and then he closed his eyes again...
So I decided to pull out all the stops...
"Travis! I've been bit by a snake!"
That worked!
He sat straight up and said "WHAT?!"
I asked him to look at my back and see if he could see the bite marks...
So I pulled my shirt down from the neckline and he looked, and then said that it wasn't poisonous...
Phew! That's good!
And then he said, "Actually I didn't see any bite marks, I think you're just feeling things."
I assured him that I felt the snake bite me and there was no mistaking it!
So I had him look farther down my back, and sure enough there was the bite mark.
Thankful for confirmation of the bite, I sat there wondering if the shooting pain I felt from that area was in my imagination. (It felt something like a bee sting only worse.)
Travis started looking under his pad to make sure there weren't any more snakes hanging around, and then stated that we should go back to sleep!
It took awhile, but I finally did go back to sleep.
The next morning I woke up and the first thing I thought was: "I'm alive!" What a wonderful feeling!
When Travis woke up I asked him to look at the bite location again to see what was there.
He looked and saw two fang marks.
That means it was a poisonous snake!
I looked at Travis and said: "You mean to tell me that I was bit by a poisonous snake last night and I'm still alive?"
There isn't a human explanation for it.
I was bit by the snake, I felt venom going in, yet there was no swelling, and no lasting ill effects!
My best explanation is that God sent some angels to plug those fangs and only let a little bit of venom in...
Just enough to make me realize that it's a miracle...
It is only because of God's power that I'm alive right now, which means that He has a plan for me...
If satan had his way, I'd be dead... But God's not through with me.
And because God saved my life for a reason, the only thing I can give in return is myself...
---
What about you? You don't have to have a near death experience to serve God...
Jesus died on the cross to save you from sin! We all are bought with a price, the magnitude of which, we can't even comprehend!
Jesus gave His life for you, what are you willing to give for Him?
I have found that the only way to find true joy is to follow Jesus...
And I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want to exchange short-term pleasure, for eternal joy and peace...
Which will you choose?
Wow! What a fantastic testimony! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYour experience sounds really similar to the apostle Paul's in Acts. He was bit by a deadly snake, but just shook it off and lived. God is so good. .
ReplyDelete