The Bluff Charge

 "The Moses answered the people,

"Fear not.

Stand firm and [Watch God] you will see the 

deliverance the LORD will bring you today.

The Egyptians you see today

you will never see again.

The Lord with fight for you;

you need only to be still."

Exodus 14:13-14

Apparently, if you're out in the woods and you encounter a bear, and if that bear decides to charge, what you're supposed to do is make yourself as big as possible, make as much noise as possible, and stay put.

Don't run.

I learned this directly from the Natural Resources officer who answered the phone that night I was alone in the cottage with a black bear sniffing around.  I was in no immediate danger, so we had a long and lovely chat about bears in general; how to co-exist in cottage country, how to keep ourselves safe, and a few choice bits of information about bear behaviour.

She said that sometimes bears might do what's called a 'bluff charge'.  They pound the ground a bit with their front legs, and then head towards you in a run.  But if you stay put, make yourself big and loud, they stop.  You'd be okay, as long as you don't run.

Yeah, right.

I do not doubt the truth of this information.  The officer really did seem to know what she was talking about, and a cursory online look verifies this.  I only doubt my ability to have the nerve to hold my ground if ever faced with such a situation.

That conversation happened about ten years ago or so.  And fortunately, up until this day, I have never had to find out if a) it's true that it would be just a bluff charge or b) I would be able to stay put.

However.

I do believe I've been able to apply this same strategy when facing other threatening situations in my life.  Not the bear kind.  But the kind where I perceive that something I love and value is in danger.  Where forces bigger and stronger than me seem to be advancing toward me in ways menacing and terrifying.

When caught between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea, Moses gave the Israelites four instructions.  

"Stand firm" was one of them.  I'm sure that was not so easy to do.

For me, when facing a menacing threat, 'stand firm' can mean a variety of spiritual 'postures.'

One would be staying quietly engaged in a confrontation without matching the volume and energy of the person accusing me.

Another might be refusing to jump to the worst case scenario that my imagination can conjure, and waiting instead for the story to unfold.

Another might be to simply take a few deep breaths and recite 'firm-standing' Scriptures to myself, this one from Exodus being a favourite.

Another might be to remain steady in self-advocacy, enlisting support where needed, particularly when something truly wrong is going on that not only threatens something cherished, but demands my moral involvement in protecting it.

And like a possible encounter with a bluff-charging bear, there are times when loud roars and flailing arms might be necessary.  But even then, my feet are planted, and the energy expended is not a frantic panic reaction, but a confident, carefully directed response.  

That's when I'm standing firm, however.  Sometimes I do give way to the fear, and hightail it out of there, cowering in a corner until I can collect my wits about me again.  It still happens, sure.

But more and more, as I practice standing on my own two feet and watch God be faithful time and time again, I'm finding my first responses to be less freaked-out and more firm-standing.

So much in the news these days that could conjure up worse case scenarios.  And life throws menacing things at us often enough, even without the politics.  

What would it look like, though, if we could stay still, feet planted, focused and steady in the midst of it all?  

Not sure what you need today, but I needed to remind myself of this.