It was one of those times when I had to do a double take. We were within a few miles from our house when Tim pointed and said: “Look, there’s a bear standing at the edge of the woods!” I have to admit that I was a little frightened at seeing one so close to my home. I don’t know about you, but back in the day, I don’t remember them being seen so far from The Smokey Mountains
When I was a kid, I loved looking for bears from the safety of Papaw’s station wagon. Every spring and fall we piled into it for our family outings to Cades Cove. Papaw would always tell us to keep an eye out for bears. I was the only one who did that. To me, it was like a game of hide and seek. It was so much fun peering through the windows in hopes of catching a glimpse of a bear. To my disappointment, I never did see one during those times. But on a trip as an adult, it was a different story.
When my daughter Sara was around four years, we went to Cades Cove with Mamaw and Papaw. Of course, he told Sara to look for bears. I didn’t say anything, but I was thinking that she wouldn’t see one. Then we drove through a section where there a straight a-way and open fields. There we saw many cars parked off the road. We knew something was going on since people were flocking to this small tree that stood out in the field. Underneath it, people had their cameras pointed upward into the tree. This was back in the 90s, so they had real cameras since smart phones hadn’t been invented yet.
By now, you’re probably thinking there was a bear in the tree. Actually, two bear cubs were in it. At first, I was so excited. After all of these years, I had finally seen bears in Cades Cove. That being said, there was no way I would get out of my car to take a picture of one up close and personal. That’s when Tim said: “Those people need get away from the cubs. Momma bear is somewhere close by.” In my mind, I imagined her roaring as she ran from the woods to the tree. Thankfully that didn’t happen. Instead, the two clubs began to climb down. When that happened, those people under it took off in a dead run back toward their cars. There were even a few screams. I was so tempted to roll my window and yell: “Get a zoom lens!”
“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matthew 24:36-37 (KJV)
Used to, I never looked around when I went outside to walk our dog, Roxy. The thought of seeing a bear never occurred to me. I do now; in fact, I constantly look around because I don’t want to be caught off guard and unprepared. You know, it’s the same thing for the Second Coming. I daresay many people just go about their day without even thinking about it. And when it does happen, many will be surprised and unprepared. What about you? Are you prepared and on guard?
Twenty years ago, I had my first bear scare. If you want to call it that. Anyway, Tim and I arrived at a Christian writer’s conference in Black Mountain, NC. It was late evening since we left after we got off of work. We were so tired and I just wanted to get us checked in and get to our room. After the lady at the front desk gave me the room keys, she handed me a piece of paper and said: “There has been a recent bear spotting.” She proceeded to instruct me on what to do and what not to do if I was to see one. Needless to say, I was a little stunned at that point. But as we say around here, what really got my goat was what she said next. “We have a prayer and meditation garden up in the woods if you want to go there while you’re here.” I thanked her and answered: “Don’t worry. If I see a bear, I’ll be praying like I never have before regardless of where I am.”
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.