Away out in the country lived a father. A mother. And their seven-year-old daughter. They knew a little about the true God. But not very much. Yet they did go to God's church to worship him sometimes.
One day father became very sick. Then he died. O how mother and her little girl cried. No husband. No father. What would they do. Sometimes mother still went to church.
Then one day she was baptized. This meant that she had really, really given her life to the true God. She would love him. And by his power she would obey him. This is what her baptism would have meant. She accepted jesus as her saviour.
She would let him wash her sins away. God in heaven. The true God. Would be her only God. But mother had a problem. She had a secret god that she had not given up. She jad a dark gray snake about three metre long. She kept it in a special cage in a secret place.
She would cook porridge and feed it. Every morning and evening she knelt down in front of it to show that it was her god. One Sabbath morning mother said. My child. I am going to church today.
It's a special day. For they are having the lord's supper. I must go now or i will be late. Please cook the porridge for the snake. But sure to cool it. Then feed the snake. I am sure he helps to protect us. He helps our lives be better in many ways.
He is our god. Take care of him. The little girl smiled and said. All right. Mother. I will do as you have asked. Mother hurried out the door to church. The little girl cooked the porridge. Then she let it cool.
She must not burn her mother's snake god. At last the food was cool. She gave it to the snake. The snake ate some of it. The it stopped. It lay quietly in the cage. It did not move. The little girl watched very closely. Then she poked it with a stick. It did not move.
Oh. She thought. It is dead. She ran out the door and down the path. She went quickly to the church. She went in the door. Her mother and the other people were eating the communion bread. Eating the little flat pieces of bread showed that they had accepted jesus into their lives.
They would serve only the true God. It reminded them of how Jesus' body was broken for them on the cross. How he forgives people if they ask him. The little girl hurried to her mother. Mother. She said. Our snake god has died.
Died. Asked mother. Yes. Someone sitting beside mother asked. Who died. Mother was embarrassed. After church. The people gathered around and asked questions. At last mother told them about her snake god.
You mean you have another god. Asked a woman. You should never do that. Did you really think that a snake could help you. Asked a man. A snake. You worship a snake. The true God in heaven can help you. But a snake god. Never.
Another woman said. That snake god couldn't even keep itself alive. How could it help you. The true God did not want you worshiping it. He knew that snake could do nothing for you. So he killed it to show you.
Mother listened to them. I have done wrong. She said as last. I will not keep any more snake gods or any other gods. The only God i will have is the true God. She became faithful to her God and to her church.
She prayed to the true God every day. She learned that he really was caring for her. This is much better than having a snake god. She told friends.
