Raven

“Raven”

Judy Royal Glenn Photography

I went into the woods at Cades Cove, Tennessee hoping to find a particular bear. I meandered through the woods hoping to find her, the pot of gold. I hiked and hiked and hiked. 

Signs of bears were everywhere–a fresh mound of scat, a cleared area beneath a tree, a large rock turned over, and fallen trees shredded to bits. I was encouraged and trudged along.

Three ravens squawked and squawked and kept going farther and farther into the woods. It was as if they were taunting me to go deeper.

I followed them thinking that maybe, just maybe, the Lord was using them to lead me to a bear. “Lord, are you leading me to the bears or are they just being birds?”

I asked the birds, “Where is she?” They just kept squawking.

One of the ravens was just above my right shoulder. If a raven could talk what he was saying was, “Up, up, up!” My legs were throbbing begging me not to go. I was exhausted but continued to follow their lead. Each time I pulled the phone up to record his sounds, he flew away. I wanted to prove what the ravens sounded like.

A very steep embankment was before me. I said, “I’ll go to the top of that hill, and if I don’t see any fresh scat I’m going to come back.”

As I got to the top of the hill there before me was a bear staring me in the face. He had been devouring the acorns on the forest floor and glanced up.

What a treat! I enjoyed watching him and of course taking his portrait. 

Yes, I believe God can still use animals to speak. I named my bear Raven.

I got in my car and said, “I’ll listen to ravens now.” Not far down the road another raven squelched at the top of the tree, but I chose to ignore it. 

Farther down the road, I saw a raven squawking in a thin line of trees and decided to stop. After exiting my car, I walked to the right of the area where I heard him. A few minutes later, a bear dashed out of those woods and crossed the road.

The Lord never ceases to amaze me!

To purchase wildlife and nature fine art prints, please visit my website:

www.judyroyalglennphotography.com 

Location: Location: Cades Cove, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park