I just split a mama bear from her cub

May 14th, 2012 by Agent Kevin Miller

Bear!

True story, happened about 20 minutes ago.

The Big Fear Happened.

I’m working at my friend Scott Stearman’s cabin down in Green Mountain Falls, CO. I spend my days writing and creating and barely moving, with my pulse sitting below 50 beats per minute and my butt getting sore. I try to help things by going for runs. So today I hit the steep trails on the side of town for a quick 25 minute jaunt. Coming around a bend and leaping over a rock, a dog runs past me down the hill. No surprise, there are often people on the trail. I glance up the ridge to see the expected owner, and there sits mama bear. A quick glance back down and I see the ‘dog’ is the cub. I pause for a split second, glance up where mama hasn’t moved yet, and bolt downhill. It’s really steep and boulder strewn. A moment more and on my right is a big tree and a huge scuffle and baby bear is clawing up it. Crap! It had doubled back on me. Now I’m waiting for the thunder of mama to sound. Nothing, and I catch a trail down into the neighborhood and haul butt.

I share this because a couple weeks ago on the same trail, I veered too far left and if not for a tree to grab, I’d have fallen down the steep hillside. No impending death, but it would have been hurt. But as I kept down the trail, I thought…would I have fallen if not for the tree, or did I feel free to push the limit cause the tree was there?

Same with this bear encounter. Our recent new friend Joseph Chirlee from Kenya (he is our new U.S.A. 25k champion!) would not go run the trails by our house two weeks ago cause of his intense fear of bear. He’s from Africa…lions and snakes, go figure. So what happened with me just a bit ago?

  • Myth? Is the whole thing about getting between a mama bear and her cub a myth? They don’t really care? Doubtful…
  • Superman? Am I just that imposing of a speciman of a man that no bear would dare risk an encounter with me? I wish, but doubtful with my 6′, 155lb stature…
  • Downhill? Is it true that bear can’t run downhill cause their front legs are short, so my tactic and running prowess saved me? That IS literally a myth…
  • God? Do I have a protective hedge around me cause God has a plan and it didn’t include getting mauled by a bear today? Could be, but…
  • Humans? Maybe bear have just learned that humans are the ones to fear? Just like the elk that I often chase who could mow me down like a twig fi they wanted, but scamper away like scared mice?

I do know that nobody in this county can recall the last time a bear actually hurt a human. Zero. Nada. There are only 23 reports of bear/human interaction in the entire state of Colorado since 1998. That’s just over 1.5 per year in a state with tons of people out on trails every day of the year.

Yet there are scores of folks who come here and even live here with fear of ‘bear attack’ out on the trail, and stay away from hiking much, or alone. Meanwhile, who knows how many miles I’ve run alone on the Rocky Mountain trails. Plenty of guys I know dig going out in remote areas and solo camping. They might have their food stolen at night by a bear, but that’s about the worst of it.

What’s the point? In pursuing our purpose and drastically altering the trajectory of our lives, FEARS keep people down. And here is the deal:

What you fear…probably WILL happen!

  • You will have some financial struggle along the way, maybe intense!
  • You will have some relational struggles, with your spouse or friends and family.
  • You will suffer the disdain, ridicule or disapproval from various people.
  • You will lose sleep to worries and anxieties.
  • You will work harder than you expected, or even fathomed.
  • You will miss the mark in your endeavor and have to adjust. Some call it failure, the rest of us call it a normal part of progress…
  • You will go out on the trail alone and come between a mama bear and a cub.

The deal is, what you fear, isn’t so horrible. 

That’s just it. No pithy quote. You’ll just deal with it, get through it. You’ll survive. The tragedy is when we don’t go forward because we fear the worst instead of just expecting it and saying “The worst is a price I’m willing to pay for the sake of what I believe to be the best.”

When I sit around with my fellow free agents we share war stories. Not with pride, but with gratefulness. It makes where we are sweeter. And honestly, it does feel a bit valiant. If it was easy, well…it wouldn’t be that valuable! And I see these same people continue taking on bears in their life, more and more. Cause they now expect the bear and are OK with it.

What’s far worse is staying indoors with the door locked.

So picture what you fear. Make peace with it and go forth.

*Photo – bear in our backyard May 2011

If you’d rather hear the show where I expanded on this topic:

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  • Anon.

    Love the photo and story. I am actually in the middle of reading Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” and the first chapter or so he summarizes his research about bear attacks – funny and scary all at once…

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Not to fully minimize them, but these brown bear are NOT grizzlies. They are still strong and should be respected…but not grizzlies

  • Wendy Staas

    Kevin,

    Two Sunday’s ago I went to the front of church for Sophia and I to receive the gift of prayer. I was freaking out….where I am strong most days, that particular one was not a good day. I went and told my story to a close friend of mine (also an elder and prayer warrior). . .he went to say with tears in his eyes that my Faith is amazing. How is it that someone that is having some parts of her world falling in around her have so much faith that the Lord is providing and that HE does have an Ultimate plan that is better than her own??

    I went to seek prayer for the things going on in my life (you are familiar with) — and not only did I receive great and power prayer. . .but I encouraged someone to take a leap of faith — to walk out onto the water and follow Jesus’ lead! To not be fearful of the bear attack. . .

    Honestly — with everything that is going on in my life — I have never felt more grateful and more excited about my future. . .sometimes — NO!! I mean All times — the LORD has a great plan for all of us. .. . we must risk in order to see/ follow that plan. . .if we are not willing to get out of our comfort zone to follow the Lords plan for us — then are we not then being unfaithful to Him?? Things/ a pursuit will never be perfect. . ..I have had so much fun pursuing what the Lord has called me to do — (you also know the whole truth there. .. it has NOT been easy — and NO I have not followed perfectly, that is for sure) — However, the end result is the same — MY LIFE IS AWESOME AND GOING OUT AND PURSUING THE GREATER THINGS IN LIFE (BEING SOMEONE BEYOND WHAT I EVER THOUGHT I COULD BE) — Is bringing forth such amazing results. . amazing fruit. .. and a life beyond AMAZING!!

    Easy, No. . worth it?? HELL YES!!

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Thank you Wendy, as always. Would God call us to anything that didn’t require faith? I think not, eh? Would he call us to anything easy? Nope. Maybe fear is a key checkpoint that we’re hearing God? Beautiful testimony here Wendy…thanks for living loudly.

  • Michelle

    My first thought in reading your title: “Dang, Kevin!”
    My second thought in reading your bullet points: “Hmm…. don’t know which one it was today, but I bet your guardian angel narrowed his eyes and showed his sword to the mama bear… just a wee bit….” :)
    My third thought on reading the whole article: “Yes, indeed. Job was crippled by his fears. And I don’t want to be another Job.” He actually said, “What I have feared is come upon me!” I don’t want my life to be ruled by fear.
    “What’s far worse is staying indoors with the door locked.” Awesome comment. I like that.
    So what is my “indoors” and what “door” do I have locked? Hmm. Good thought to ponder.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Oh, I don’t doubt at all that God was fully aware. And I must say, I was preachin’ to myself here. I recognize the message as truth, but so aware I DON’T do many things that I know to be best, cause of fear. Especially relationally. Bear and money area easy next to relational issues…for me.

      • Michelle

        And relationships are easier for me now than they used to be, but fear about my abilities, especially writing… that’s the mountain I have to climb. We all have our own specific mountains of fear to conquer.

  • Terissa Miller

    Kevin, you rock.
    I’m still kinda afraid of the bears right here at our sandbox. But, you’re right – not so afraid that I’m gonna keep the kids locked indoors. Despite those realistic-but-unreasonable fears…I choose to acknowledge the history-proven fact that those bears are significantly afraid of & driven away by our noisy kiddos.

    What fun & joy & adventure & glory would be lost if I gave in to my fears…and kept the kids indoors all evening. As it is – now at 5:30pm – all 4 young ones are laughing & giggling in the sandbox, relishing this warm & sunny Spring evening.

    (Will you remind me of this in a few weeks, after we find bear-paw prints on the deck???)

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Honestly…when it comes to our kids in the sandbox, I can let the fear arise too. I rely on the fact that no kids have come up missing cause of bears around here. They are primarily scared of us. And faith that God will watch over them. And if there were an encounter, like so many instances of scary stuff in our past, God uses something to alert us…like you with Caleb’s seizures. Which all just add up to not being ruled by our fears, eh? God has shown so faithful.

  • http://www.facebook.com/dons96vette Don Current II

    Well, your goal was to get your blood pumping and your heart rate up. I’d say you succeeded in that! And you got a great and truthful post out of it to boot! Yup. It was a good day!

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Yeah, I got a nice interval in for sure

  • http://twitter.com/jameswoosley JamesWoosley

    There is a difference between confronting a bear and confronting our fear of bears. It would be stupid to go punch one in the nose! But to rob yourself of the beauty of where you live out of fear of them? Sad.

    Yet we do that all of the time! Our fears paralyze us and keep us from acting. Those fears are incredibly unlikely to come true and our worrying simply keeps us from reaching our ultimate potential.

    Preaching to myself right now. Thanks for the good word, Kevin!

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Very true. I sure didn’t go out looking for one, and would rather not have that happen again. But it’s the first bear I’ve seen on a run in my 8 years out here…and a lot of miles of trails that have blessed me dramatically. I’m not about to stay away…

  • http://www.facebook.com/douggale Doug Gale

    Great words Kevin! We all encounter those “bears” throughout our life whether it’s in our personal life or business life, but I believe that what we do with those bears is so key. I was always one to stay clear of those bears, but ya know what, they always got worse if ignored or not addressed….at least for me. I am slowly learning to embrace those bears because someone is trying to get me to learn something….about myself or life. Those battles can teach us so much. Heck, to your quote about staying inside with the door locked…that’s letting the bear, or fear win.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      ‘That’s letting the bear win’, nice line Doug. I agree…often the bear will find you anyway, might as well go get it over with. But I also feel more and more folks just avoid and never face anything, never aspire to anything. And die in anonymoty. The tombstone reads “They were here, existed, now gone…unnoticed”

      • http://www.facebook.com/douggale Doug Gale

        So true Kevin…I think it was Gary Barkalow that calls it living a life of resignation, that really hit home with me. Don’t want to go there. One of my favorite poems, not there are a lot, was the poem “The Dash”…talks to the dash between your birth date and date of death on your tombstone…talks to how you live your life between those two points, how we make a difference, what’s important and ultimately what isn’t important.

        • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

          Yeah, “A life of resignation” is pretty convicting. “The Dash” I got to help Kirk & Deby Dearman market that book on Christmas, they wrote and performed a song about it that was included with the book. Must have been around 2004 or so

  • http://twitter.com/iyasostuff Osayi

    “The worst is a price I’m willing to pay for the sake of what I believe to be the best.”

    Great quote…even if what you “believe” to be the best turns out not to be the best?

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      We press in to our faith, seek counsel, and discern to the best of our abilities what is best and right and true. And go forth. As we learn and grow along the way we get more clear and we may see that we didn’t see the fullness of it, and we revise our path. But if we don’t start, we’ll never go anywhere, eh?!

      • http://twitter.com/iyasostuff Osayi

        that’s true.
        Seek God, trust his word, and make adjustments as time goes on…
        I love the idea that we accept that our fears may happen, and that’s okay.

        thank you so much for sharing this.

        • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

          Thanks for being here and sharing the journey

  • redeemingcarolyne

    This one made me think of phobias there seems to be one for just about everything. What if there were life-a-phobiacs? People who were actually afraid to live…..afraid to live life. Mearly existing is NOT living! A life of mundane, purposeless, have too’s, & because you don’t even know why’s. So many walking, talking, & breathing the breath of death. William Wallace’s statement is beyond true, “Every man dies-not every man really lives”. I mean look around, just go about anywhere and watch and listen to people.
    Life is so short and so precious and we NEVER fully know what He has in store next for us. It is going to be hard and sometimes painful, but even in that we are called to live fully & fully live!
    You don’t have to die to go through life dead. But wow, what an offence to God, to others, to yourself!!!
    Live NOW…..just do IT!
    Carolyne

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      You said it Carolyne, “Mearly existing is NOT living!” Our culture says ‘existing’ is responsible. Trying to really live is ‘risky’. So it’s up to all of us, to counter this. In our own lives first, then in the lives of others. Thanks for evangelizing sister!

  • http://www.jmlalonde.com Joe Lalonde

    Whoa Kevin! That sounds like an exciting adventure you had. Glad to hear that you came out of it alive!

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Me too

  • http://scottkantner.com Scott Kantner

    While turkey hunting, I once stumbled into a group of 5 black bears here in the Pennsylvania woods. So…I can share in your “crap” sentiment and the puckering of certain body parts.
    I would say though that most of what we fear actually won’t happen, and what does, isn’t so horrible, and I’m with you from that point. God doesn’t promise a safe primrose path…I think the psalm says “yea, though I walk THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death”, not “yea, though the bear mauled me in the valley and I died there…” The journey is unfulfilling if nothing happens along the way.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      5 bears, I can’t imagine. I’ve never seen two adults together, but multiple mamas with cubs. But I just couldn’t believe I literally ‘came between mama and cub’ like the great fear folks talk about. Kind of a blur…I mainly ran. Thanks for the wisdom brother, I know you’ve been facing fears!

  • Jack Lynady

    Exciting read Kevin. Hey, I like this new Disqus layout. Is it free or a paid layout? I really like the Top Commenters side bar. Marta is helping me freshen up my site. U guys did a great job here. J

  • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

    I’ll be talking about this blog and topic of fear in today’s show at 3pm MT and reading some of these comments
    - http://freeagentacademy.com/show-blog/

  • http://www.whiteboardbusiness.com/ Dallon Christensen

    In the past year, I’ve experienced two pretty significant fears. A year ago tomorrow (May 17), I was let go from a job. Six weeks ago, I learned my oldest son has diabetes. Both cases, I was incredibly scared.

    Funny things happened in both cases. In the first case, I found a job right away. Even better, I finally got the kick in the pants I needed to really make my business a reality. I wasn’t going to half-a** it anymore. I now run my own business as a free agent. In the second case, my son is doing just fine. We manage his diabetes well, he doesn’t complain, and he does everything a normal eight-year-old kid can do. In fact, he was the fastest runner and best player on his rec soccer team as the youngest player on the team.

    I’ve stared fear squarely in the face two times in a year. When you don’t back down, it can become quite a motivating factor.

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Hey, thanks for this Dallon, was great content to read on the show!

  • http://christopherbattles.net/ Christopher Battles

    This was a nice, not your typical view on fear.
    When you talked about the reposted quotes and such, which I have become a fan of…it made me think as alluded to here and before, what if we just stuck to one and made that a part of us. Such as reading a Proverb and embracing it strongly and then moving on, instead of taking in chapter after chapter. It is how we use them though.
    Glad to hear everyone was safe.
    Thank you for sharing Kevin.

    K, bye

    • http://www.freeagentacademy.com Kevin Miller

      Christopher…I dig your idea. Embracing what really calls out to us. Reminds me of something I want to blog about…

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