i see the point of bedroom slippers...wish i had some

As I woke up at 3:00 A.M. (again), I dreaded the idea of walking into the living room from the bedroom. Usually I don't have this problem. I'm not generally afraid of the dark, but we still have not found the snake previously mentioned that is lost in our house. A few nights ago, we thought it was trapped in our library. Everyone went back to sleep that night, warily, with creepy crawlies in their mind. Two boys who had been camping out in the library decided they would sleep in their room the rest of the night instead...together on the top bunk. Teenage girl had been sleeping on the floor in her room for a couple of weeks, not because she has no bed (she has two: a trundle she usually sleeps in and a top bunk), but she's been trying to get herself in the habit of waking earlier so she can have quiet time first thing in the morning. She decided if she was less comfortable in her sleeping conditions, it would be easier to get up in the mornings. I wouldn't have thought of that, but it seems to have worked...until the snake. That night she went back to bed and opted for the top bunk. Good choice considering at 6:30 the next morning, we heard her alarm going off and her calling for help...the snake had found its way into her room. She's not sleeping on the floor anymore.
This missing snake is the reason for my hesitancy in leaving my bed in the middle of the night. Suddenly the probability of stepping on that creature in the dark didn't rule in my mind (I mean what are the odds), but just the possibility of such a thing reigned and paralyzed me for a while before I finally got up. Once I got up every shadow on the floor became a snake and I found myself counting how many steps till I could turn on a light without waking anyone. I was sure the snake was stalking me (mind you, it's only the size of a large shoe string) and when the cat pounced unexpectedly, adrenaline kicked in and I nearly hit the ceiling. Fear had a grip on me.
I keep thinking there must be a spiritual comparison in all this. Fear in the darkness, afraid of the unknown, wary of what's out there, nervous and lacking confidence...that's how I am when I get away from my strong tower. But when I walk in the light, assurance provides rest in my soul and I experience the sweetest peace, I see things more clearly, I am not fearful. I am thankful for the Light and the light tonight. I might even turn the light out and try to rest some more, but for the cat's sake, it had better not pounce anymore.