Do I have a whale of a story for you! (Actually, it’s a bear of a story but it’s true and it happened to me this week).

Since the employees and independent contractors of the company I work for reside in countries around the world, we were given the opportunity to contribute to the project by videotaping narrative and photos featuring our community.

I got some good shots but decided to ask a friend, who’s also the manager of our tourism department and a professional photographer, to help me. We set out to find some of the gloriously beautiful yet hidden spots around our town. One of the last stops on the venture was a section of the Sunshine Coast Trail, just minutes from where hubbie and I live.

Darren and I headed down the pathway until we found the perfect spot. I described the surroundings while he photographed. When heading back, both of us too engrossed in the beauty of the trail to say anything, we encountered a huge black bear sharing the same path. He leapt to a tree branch no more than ten feet away, clung to the slender branch end eyed us up. I froze; Darren filmed. It wasn’t until Mr. Bear began to snort and wave his paws that we decided to high-tail it back to the truck. It was later that night that I realized how different the outcome could have been.

It reminded me of temptation: run like crazy; hang around and the consequences could be deadly.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Corinthians 1:13)