I went over to a friend's house this morning after his youngster spotted a snake in their kitchen. Naturally, that was a terrifying experience. Even more disconcerting is that the reptile disappeared before being introduced to the shovel.
Afterwards, my friend and I discussed what in the world could be done in response to this problem (it was not the first time this happened). He's tried sealing tiny slither spaces into the house. He's consulted professionals. It seems like it might just be a fact of life for their beautiful home in a country setting in the south.
And still, the fear of a snake in the house near sleeping children might drive a family to "abandon ship". While I tried to call that strategy into question, what would I do if the scales were on my floor? I know I would freak out and check into a hotel. But I've learned some tools to avoid choosing long term decisions in response to short term problems.
The first tool I've used is to talk to someone I trust who is not directly involved in the trouble. When I am fearful, I often have trouble thinking rationally. At my best, I am not too proud to ask someone to do some thinking for me.
Turns out, there are only 8,000-10,000 snakebites annually in the USA. "Approximately 3,000 of those are classed as illegitimate, meaning the victim was handling or molesting the snake when the bite occurred." Those bites result in 12-15 deaths per year.
You may accept the analogy of snakes in your space to drunk drivers on your road, e.g. you are out among the drunk drivers all the time and manage to avoid them, but sometimes there are injuries and deaths. If so, consider these stats:
In America, nearly 12,000 people die every year in DUI-related accidents.
So, it seems that your comparative danger of dying from a snakebite vs. drunk driver is one tenth of one percent. But I am much more fearful of snakes than I am of drunk drivers. After all, I would steer clear of snakes at all costs while I drive the roads at all hours. How might I drive fear out of the equation given my threat meter is all out of whack?
One way is education. This site, explains the psychology and facts behind the fear of snakes. This site is all about the drunk driving epidemic in the USA.
The best way I've found is to work towards replacing fear with faith. I need a God that has the whole world in his hands, and has a particular interest in me. To the extent I can turn my fears over to that power, I am much less likely to be consumed by my circumstances.
