The Devil's Snuff Box

I grew up on Cove road, a little country winding trail between the Asberry and Williams communities.  It was in the Roy Webb and Pleasant Valley school districts.  My mother, her sister, and their mother, Bertie Mae, all lived on the same piece of land.  We called it the “same yard.”  Mom, dad and my aunt and uncle worked in the local mills and factories and when they were at work on a first, second, or third shift, my grandmother was there to be the steady guardian of siblings and cousins.  We formed a great bond that remains to this day stronger as cousins than most brothers and sisters.  My grandmother had no problems enforcing her rules and regulations for us, so for the most part we were a well behaved bunch.  The grownups erected a tall fence around “the yard,” so it’s safe to say there was little danger for us.  I remember summer time snakes were prone to crawl up from the surrounding woods, so we had to be careful about playing outside barefoot.  Another warning that came from Bertie Mae, were potentially poisonous mushrooms growing in various spots, which she called “The Devil’s Snuff Box.”

My mother is going to kill me for writing this, but it was not uncommon for the women in my family to dip snuff.  Therefore, a snuff box to me was a common article.  I did find it gross, especially when my Maw Maw Goodwin wanted to chase me down and kiss me after taking a big ole dip.  Bertie Mae didn’t dip snuff, so I am thinking she used the old wives tale about mushrooms being the devil’s snuff box as a way to scare us and to poke fun at other ladies.

Bertie Mae would tell us that the devil planted these giant snuff boxes and whenever they were growing, we needed to be extra careful because he was always lurking about.  Surely, we couldn’t pick or touch one, because it would guarantee he would appear and snatch one of us.  I am not sure how much of these stories my sister and cousins remember, but I took it to heart.

Years later as a teenager, I had a little more confidence, also known as arrogance, and thought I didn’t need my grandmother’s scare tactics about life very much, so I would get on my Dad’s lawn mower and run right over those mushrooms.  Of course the devil never appeared…well, not where I could see him, but she was right, he is always there.

As an adult, I reminded my grandmother of her stories about the devil’s snuff boxes and she told me that her mother had told her the same story years earlier and that some mushrooms could be poisonous and that is why it got its nickname.  She went on to tell me that as an adult I would experience the devil’s snuff boxes at every turn in life and she was so right.  You see, when we are traveling along thinking life is going great, having fun and doing the things we think are right, that’s when out of the beautiful green grass pops up one of those mushrooms.  It equates to sin, temptation, trials, tribulation, etc.  The devil is definitely situated at every point in life, so he can to steal away our innocence.  Just like when we were children, those poisonous mushrooms could make us sick and maybe even do irreparable damage, so can the devil’s influence on our lives as adults. 

When you feel like you are taking one step forward and two steps back, it’s the devil trying to push you down and stop God’s glory from shining in you.  Today I didn’t want to get out of bed.  My heart is heavy and hurting so badly because I miss my brother who was brutally taken from us one year ago today.  We were robbed of the chance to say goodbye or have closure and the pain still lingers.  I have certainly moved forward this year and found joy again and progressed with my life as Tony would have wanted me to do, yet, the devil is not happy with that outcome.  Because I struggle with depression, he wants to use every opportunity, every mushroom in my path, to make me stumble.  Fortunately, God is almighty and all-powerful.  He is stronger than the devil.  He works through his children to encourage us.  My friends call me up, encourage me and keep me motivated.  God makes the sun shine so that we can tell there is a brighter day and that pain and grief will subside.  He promises there will be “no more tears in Heaven.”

I was sitting at my desk, writing in my prayer journal about Tony and tears were streaming down my cheeks.  My mind drifted to the influence Bertie Mae had on all our lives.  I was reminded of the snuff boxes and realized the depression I am battling today is just one of those large poisonous mushrooms of life.  It’s natural to feel loss and to grieve over the sudden death of a loved one, but when we have the promise of salvation and eternity in Heaven, it’s not okay to allow depression to debilitate us. 

I am grateful to have such a comforting and loving Father who knows just what I need all the time.  When you find yourself in one of those paralyzing phases trying to make meaning out of something we can’t possibly understand, just close your eyes and pray for comfort.  His supernatural power is the answer to whatever our crisis may be.  It comes in many forms.  Today, for me, it came in the form of a memory.

My love to you all….watch out for the “devil’s snuff boxes” in your path.