Life is full of surprises. God delights in giving good gifts to His children—generously, abundantly and sometimes quite unexpectedly.
I remember a warm Monday in May several years ago. The sunny morning had inspired me to spring clean our camper for the many planned outings to come that summer. So, I trekked down our pine tree-lined driveway to the place where our camper lodges in-between excursions. I had decided to bring Emma along—our aging, 12-pound cockapoo who was my constant shadow. As I unlocked the camper door, Emma scurried in and I followed with my box of cleaning supplies. I closed only the screen door, so as not to miss any of the sunshine the day was generously providing. It felt wonderful after a long Minnesota winter to be reacquainted with our camper that becomes “home” on our trips to the mountains out west and our adventures up the north shore. I was surrounded by all the right visuals and smells and, for a moment, almost felt as if I were camping. But, it was time to get to work, so I turned to begin the process.
Just then I heard something outside. There was a steady rustling of leaves behind the camper. Clearly, something was walking through the woods. Having lived on our land for many years, I had learned that such noises are usually made by chipmunks or birds scampering through dried leaves on the forest floor. I listened carefully and began to discern a regular rhythm that made me think it may, instead, be a deer. What a treat that would be, I thought, and I watched intently through the screen door, as the noise continued to draw closer. Suddenly, I saw an enormous, dark figure emerge from the trees and round the back of the camper—it was a big black bear! I gasped with surprise!
The bear walked slowly right along the side of the camper, approaching the door. She was massive and her coat gleamed richly in the sunshine. There I stood, perfectly still, in the camper doorway, with my little dog at my feet! I knew if Emma saw this large creature, she would abandon all inhibition and go into a barking frenzy! To this day I don’t understand why the bear’s scent didn’t trigger a response, but her hearing loss had prevented her from being alerted to the bear’s presence and she had not yet seen him. I quickly reached down and covered her eyes hoping that both she and I could remain calm and silent. I held my breath and didn’t move. The bear inched closer and began sniffing the camper doorstep. Then, quite suddenly, the bear reared up on her hind legs and looked in at me through my screen door! With no more than twelve inches separating us in those few moments, I should have been scared to death. Instead, my heart leaped with so much exhilaration and shock. It completely overshadowed any fear.
Thankfully, in the sunlight, the bear was not able to see beyond the screen or she may have been as astounded as I was. Instead, for whatever reason, she quickly lost interest, dropped back down on all four paws, and continued to meander up the driveway. It took a few moments before a wave of reality rushed over me and I remembered to breathe again. My heart began to beat rapidly as I thought about what had just taken place and the flimsy screen that stood between the bear’s face and mine. How incredible!
Unfortunately, there was no camera present, nor other witness to corroborate this amazing experience. Even Emma remained completely unaware until we later walked back to the house and she paused to have a good, long smell where the bear had been. Still, the reality is that never before had I been so close to a bear as I was that day. In all our travels to the wild places across this country and into Canada, our bear sightings were always distant or fleeting. Seeing a bear that morning was the furthest thing from my mind, but quickly became the closest encounter I ever had. It was truly unforgettable and it happened in my own backyard.
It’s easy to think we have to spend lots of money or travel to far away places to have incredible experiences. And, in fairness, seeing a bear in this way is a pretty rare occurrence. But God gives us gifts right where we are, big and small, all the time! Life is full of amazing things because they are given to us by our amazing God.
Who would have thought on that spring morning in May I would go nose to nose with a bear? I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me today…