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The Eyes of an Alligator Devil
At first glance it was just an old log sitting there in the swampy, muddy waters. Drawing closer revealed the harsh scales and mysterious dark eyes. The only sounds were the racing cars on the highway nearby and the distant faint song of the chirping birds nestled high in their surrounding homes. Finally, after what seemed like forever he blinked his threatening cagey eyes.
Those eyes! Eerie, cunning, and determined in their search. His tail could knock out his prey with one swipe. His jaws were like iron, used to grip the victim of choice. Hidden were teeth, sharp and precise, used to sink into the innocent bringing great satisfaction to the pain he caused.
I could almost hear my heartbeat as I stood there on the side of the noisy highway. He gave off such coldness that I shivered standing in the warm sun. The air was stagnant and all that moved around him were a few rustling leaves from the surrounding foliage. Up to this point, I had only witnessed his eyelids move. Those eyes again! They were intense and piercing. It was as if they could read the thoughts and sense the fear of those being preyed upon.
There seemed to be no escape from this evil dark form desiring to steal life from all that crossed its path. Drawing me away was the sweet melody coming from peaks above. There hidden in the branches and shaded from the heat of the day was a song that overcame the darkness. The performance, a delightful concert with no trepidation for what lie just beneath. Little song birds protected and content, bringing harmony to the soul and a longing to join the unending chorus.
Abounding on the limbs was protection and safety. The tall, full trees provided privilege and freedom to sing loud, grow strong, and fly high above the murky waters below. Needs were met, no need to fear, no need for the song to end.
At once the music stopped. My eyes were pulled back down and fear surged through my entire being. Could it be that one would find solace in what the spine-chilling eyes offered? Relief was sure to come as I watched the small prey attempt to help this wicked force by cleaning the parasites off his scales. Surely there was no danger here as they were both receiving benefit. An uncanny calmness filled the air; all watched and waited for the song to continue.
The action was swift. The scream of terror. The smirk of pleasure. It was over! The darkness prevailed.
I had to turn my eyes away from the destruction before me. The enemy offered nothing more than Injury and Death. The parasites he carried were nothing more than a luring attraction to the first hungry soul in his path.
Will the others learn from the toxic consequence of indulgence? The Vine offers Life, Nourishment, Shelter, and Protection. I turned my eyes upward once again. It was there, the soft melody that soothed my soul. It was there in the Vine that my every need was met.
Annette Lou Williams
1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
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