Perseverance Pays

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised (Hebrews 10:36)

When I come across Bible passages that refer to perseverance, I am often reminded of an incident my family and I witnessed a number of years ago, involving a bear and an insulated thermos.

We were living in southeast Montana where my husband was employed at Yellowtail Dam.  The lake had been built by spanning the Bighorn River, flooding its many canyons and ravines.  Walls up to 1000 feet rose from its floor on all sides, making access virtually impossible except by boat.  Once on the water, access to land was limited. In fact, there was only one place to dock a boat and go ashore.  It was at the end of a peaceful ravine known as Black Canyon. Here, on a small plot of ground, surrounded on two sides by rock walls rising straight up for several hundred feet, the National Park Service had established and maintained a tiny picnic/camping site.

We had been told that the canyon was named for the black bear that inhabited the area, and indeed the rangers had erected a sign warning that bears are dangerous.  But though we had often picnicked there, we had never seen evidence of such. That is, not until the day we were treated to the sight of a big, black bear relishing the contents of a large mouth red and white thermos.

As was our habit at the end of a day on the lake, we made our way slowly up the canyon that evening, quietly watching for wildlife which could sometimes be seen as they came to drink at the water’s edge.  As we approached the campground that evening, we were surprised to see for the first time, that someone had set up a campsite. A tent stood nearby and camping gear was scattered around, but the area seemed otherwise deserted.

We were just about to dock and go onshore when we noticed movement in the shadowy background.  A good sized black bear, with her nose thrust into the thermos, seemed totally oblivious to our presence, but we wisely decided to stay in the boat and watch.

Several minutes had passed when we noticed two women and a man, carrying fishing gear, approaching from further up the canyon from where a small stream flowed into the lake.  By their casual manner, it was evident they were unaware of the bear’s presence so my husband called out a quiet heads-up. Approaching more tentatively, they began watching as we were, from a safe distance.

But after several minutes, during which the bear continued to concentrate on the business of licking the inside and outside of the thermos, the man began saying he was going to retrieve the thermos which they had purchased only the day before.  Ignoring the pleas of his wife, and his sister-in-law’s promise to buy him a new one, he began casually walking toward the bear.

He had taken only a few steps in her direction when the bear dropped the container, rose on her hind legs, growled and took a couple of steps in his direction.  Quickly he reevaluated the importance of the container and retreated to his former position. The bear then dropped onto four feet, and without another glance in his direction, resumed her activity.

Some time had passed as we watched when she picked up the handle of the empty container in her mouth and disappeared into the thick foliage that shrouded the base and sides of the canyon walls.  We had always assumed the wall was too sheer to navigate, but from the movement of the brush, we were able to follow her progress upward.

The bear had made it up a hundred feet or so when the rustling stopped and everything grew still.  A moment passed, and then we heard something rolling down the steep incline. Ker-thump. Ker-thump.  Ker-thump. Out into the clearing rolled the red and white thermos. Then crashing through the brush, the bear followed.  Ker-thud. Ker-thud. Ker-thud.

Undeterred, she retrieved the prized container, disappeared into the brush, and began her upward climb again.  Moments later, the scene was repeated. Ker-thump. Ker-thump. Ker-thump. Silence. Then Ker-thud. Ker-thud.  Ker-thud. As we continued to watch in stunned amusement, the action was repeated. First the thermos rolled into sight, followed by the determined bear who grasped the handle in her mouth and attempted to carry it upward.

It was tempting to stay to see if she ever accomplished her mission, but the sun was sinking low in the west and we knew it was time to go.  As we made our way back through the canyon and onto the lake, for a few minutes we could hear the continuing events at the campsite. I have often wondered the outcome of that scenario.  Was the bear successful in getting the thermos up the steep incline? And what good would an empty thermos be to an animal in the wild?

But more than that, when I think of the bear’s tenacity, I am reminded of the perseverance believers in Christ are instructed to exhibit in the face of overwhelming odds:

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be

mature and complete, not lacking anything

(James 1:4)

Something in that simple creature drove her to keep trying in spite of repeated setbacks.  Although she may not have reached her goal in the end, the exercise was not in vain for it made her stronger in body and tenor.  So it is that we gain when we continue to attempt those things which God lays on our hearts to accomplish.

Lord, give me a sense of Your purpose in my life,

and the faith to persevere in the face of overwhelming odds.  

Give me a sense of Your presence each day,

and enable me with Your unfailing, all-sufficient strength.

Glenda Collins Inman