Little Stories: Mr. Bear Claw

Once upon a time I lived in a very rural area where dirt roads were common. I set out one morning on such a road that ran along the side of a mountain. I was driving an old Ford Econoline van that had tires in a questionable condition.

There was ice on the steep road. To the left was the side of the mountain. To the right was a sheer drop-off into the tree tops below. I crossed a bridge and began the ascent. I also began to slide. Sideways and backwards toward the abyss. There were no guard rails. Fear took up housekeeping in my intestines.

I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a man dancing up the road behind me. I mean dancing, literally. He suddenly appeared at the driver's side window. Long hair, bear claw necklace, smiling brightly. He asked me if I needed help. Uh, yes (not totally sure about this Mr. Bear Claw). I scooted over, he climbed in, and then he calmly and skillfully conducted our van up the mountain. When we got to the top, he climbed back out. I thanked him and meant it. He said, "Thanks for trusting." And then he walked away. At least I think he did because I couldn't see him around anywhere.

The moral of this story, if you need one, is there are mysteries in the world. And mysteries are gifts of grace sometimes.