Cooler weather has arrived in North Florida which means it’s too cold for snakes, lizards, and other reptiles. We Floridians can finally tackle some of the less than pleasant summer jobs we put off without fears of finding unwanted creatures. For us, our Saturday consisted of cleaning the giant mound of sawdust out of our wood shop that hasn’t been touched since the house project. We still have a little more trim to hang inside the bedrooms, so we needed the woodshop accessible.

            During the summer, there were two broadhead skinks that lived in the sawdust. Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever seen one, but they look like hairless squirrels, but they wiggle and squirm like snakes. This slinky duo of skinks liked to burrow under the sawdust in our shop and just before we got too close for comfort, they would dart through the sawdust. And yes, this produced screams, yells, and dancing from whoever was in proximity.

            While we worked today, our fears were lowered because we knew the critters were all hiding from the cold. I drove the tractor, the boys all shoveled sawdust and calm remained. Even when I stepped down from the tractor into a pile of old wood or limbs, I wasn’t as cautious as I am in the summertime. Even if there was a snake or lizard under the pile, they are so cold, their bodies can’t perform as usual. Outside work is much more appealing and so much less fearful now that there’s a chill in the air. 

            It’s funny how fear works. I’m no less afraid of snakes and creepy crawlies now as I am in the summer. But apparently, I am majorly motivated by fear because we waited to tackle this unpleasant task when the chance of creatures was less. Fear can completely shut us down.

            Do your fears keep you from completing tasks? Having fun? Living life? Choosing to do a chore in the winter instead of summer is one thing, but when our fears keep us stuck with no forward motion, that is another. Check yourself this week. Have your fears trapped you?