Have you ever gone for a walk in the forest and had the feeling something was watching you or following you? You are certain something is looking at you and you hope it is a deer and not a bear.

Most of us aren’t in any real danger of being attacked or eaten by a bear. That doesn’t’ mean we aren’t afraid or that there aren’t dangerous things in our lives.

We worry about our families, our health, our finances, our jobs, our friends. These are very real fears to us. Other people might think our fears are trivial or that we are being foolish but to us they are as big and as threatening as any bear.

There is an old saying that “to he who lives in fear...everything rustles.”

Today I went for a walk in the woods. The woods are very dense, in fact, unless you stay on the narrow dirt trail it would be very difficult to make your way through the trees, thorny blackberry bushes and undergrowth. The pine trees are so tall and so close together they block out most of the sun and the woods stay dark. Thick moss clings to the tree trunks and hangs from the branches. I was halfway through my walk when I heard something in the bushes. A rustle, a step, a branch snaps. Something is walking in the woods and it is very close to me. I stop and look around and listen but I don’t hear or see anything. I know black bears are often seen in these woods and I’m always cautious.

It could be a deer. It could even be a squirrel scurrying along the ground through the dry leaves. It’s rare that I ever see anyone else in the woods but occasionally I’ll see a hiker.

I’m now spending more time looking behind me than I spend looking ahead of me. I am certain I’m being watched but I don’t know what or who is watching me. I tell myself there is nothing to worry about but my fear has made me nervous and I’m no longer enjoying my walk.

I turn around and walk home, still looking behind me, still watching for a bear. I was glad to get home. I never did know what was in the woods...maybe something, maybe nothing, but I felt something was there and believed I could be in danger.

Maybe my fear cost me a pleasant walk in the woods. Maybe my instinct kept me from being lunch for a bear. Maybe there was a bear in the woods just eating berries and minding his own business and maybe he was afraid of me and maybe he was wishing I’d go away and leave him alone.

Every bear heard in the forest does not walk down your path.

When we feel fearful we need to ask ourselves if it is real or if we are exaggerating our situation. Is there a bear in the path ahead of you or is it just a rabbit?

God doesn’t’ want us to be afraid. There are 365 mentions of the words “Fear not” and “Be not afraid” in the King James Version of the Bible. If we read one of those verses each day, we’d be reminded every day for a year not to be afraid.

The next time we are afraid we have to remind ourselves that even if there is a bear out there, it might not be on our path. There might not be anything on our path but a rabbit.

Crying Wind is the author of Crying Wind and My Searching Heart, When the Stars Danced, and Thunder in Our Hearts, Lightning in Our Veins. All her books are available from Indian Life. Check catalog on page 19.