The serpent

Two men sat watching a serpent in the desert, unafraid.
Time passed and it was nearly upon them, preparing to strike.
The two men, for a while remained, their fears abated.

Then, one man uncertain, spoke:
"Should I not run while I still can,
while I am young, while I am able?
For the serpent is nearly upon us and may soon strike."
And God answered saying, "If you trust in me, stay.
If you trust in yourself, go.
But always follow your heart. For it will guide you when I cannot."
For a time the man remained, but as the serpent grew closer his
fears overcame him and he ran.

The man ran far into the desert, the sands hot beneath his feet.
He soon became tired and thirsted for water and slept little and
ate not at all.
Each day the man wandered farther into the desert until finally he became
lost beneath the sun ...
and the sun, it became unbearable,
and his fear it grew heavy
until his legs fell under him with the weight of it.

Desperate and afraid, he rose to his knees and prayed aloud, crying,
"Help me, for I am lost,
I am hungry and shamed.
And I am a fool."
And he laid weeping upon the desert, his face within his hands.

The man lain upon the ground anguished and humbled for some time.
But when at last he looked up he saw that a cloud had appeared,
and it began to rain upon him,
and the water turned the dunes into valleys,
and glorious mountains grew into the sky before him,
and the heavens parted and wind blew upon his face.
The man ceased his sobbing and prayed for forgiveness,
that he had lost his faith and was repent.
And God spoke "My son, you have returned to me and what you see before
you now is my beauty upon you.
For no matter where you may be, there am I also."

His life renewed, he returned from whence he had come.
He lifted the serpent with the palm of his hand and destroyed it, saving the man who had faith he would be saved, and indeed he was.

And he learned that his freedom had given him strength to do so.

ATS
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