Southern Indiana Living Magazine - May/June 2024

I
have a running joke with a couple
of friends about spotting a bigfoot
someday. I don’t even remember
how it started, but whenever I spot
sasquatch merchandise, I usually snap
a picture and text it to them. One step
closer to tracking him down!
A few years ago, when I was
checking into a campground in Tennessee
with my family, I saw a sticker in the
office depicting Bigfoot loping through
the Smoky Mountains. I took a picture
and sent it to friends with a text saying,
“If I don’t see Bigfoot this week, I’m asking
for my money back.”
Little did I know that before I went
to bed that night I would get my full
money’s worth and then some!
Around 9:30 I had to run a bag
of trash up to the dumpster near the
campground entrance, and my family
joined me for an evening walk. It was
completely dark out and fun to see the
campfires and colorful lights strung up
around the tents and RVs.
When we got back to our cabin,
I stopped at the edge of our campsite
to take down my hammock before it
rained. Meanwhile, my family continued
onto the porch to unlock the cabin
My daughters were in front with the
keys, and my wife was right behind
them.
As they were unlocking the door
my wife heard me coming up on the
porch behind her but couldn’t figure
out how I’d gotten there so fast. Only it
wasn’t me. I was still beside the cabin
messing with my hammock.
When she turned around, she
expected to see her clean-shaven husband,
but instead found herself staring
at a mass of fur and fangs. She and my
daughters were face-to-face with a real
live sasquatch! Or at least a guy in a
scary bigfoot costume, which in some
ways, is more disturbing.
My wife screamed. They all three
leapt back in surprise.
I, however, had exactly the opposite
reaction. Instead of running away
from the frightening ape man, I ran
straight toward him. It was like that
scene in the movie Elf when Buddy
finds out Santa is coming to Gimbels
department store.
“Bigfoot!,” I yelled. “I’ve been
looking for you for years!” He began to
back away, probably more scared of me
than most people were of him. I think he
was afraid I was going to hug him.
“Wait!” I said, “I need a picture.”
Sasquatch Surprise
I knew this was a classic Sasquatch
hunting blunder. No matter how many
people see this beast, they rarely think
to take a photo. Not this guy! I grabbed
a quick snapshot and promptly sent it to
all my friends.
In retrospect, running towards a
Everyday Adventures
costumed stranger in the woods at night
might not be the wisest strategy, but at
least it got him away from my family.
I found out later that the next day
just happened to be the annual Gatlinburg
Bigfoot convention which made
total sense. If you’re a sasquatch, that
has to be the can’t-miss event of the
year.
All your friends are going to be
there, right?
My Bigfoot encounter was not
how I typically react to scary things in
life, though. Usually, like most people, I
tend to run away from them and not towards
them. That’s just human nature.
Whether it’s bad news from the
doctor, bad news about our jobs, bad
news about a relationship or whatever
other ugly things life throws at us, it’s
totally normal to want to turn and run
from the bad stuff.
But the Bible says there’s a God
who loves us and who does exactly
the opposite. When trouble comes our
way, He runs right into it to help His
children. Psalm 46:1 says, “God our refuge
and strength, an ever-present help
in trouble.” Not a sometimes-present
help or an every once in a blue moonpresent
help, but an ever-present help.
That’s not a promise for a troublefree
life, but the promise of a God who’s
bigger than our trouble who will walk
with us no matter what scary things we
face. Throughout the Bible we see God
running into fiery furnaces, lions’ dens,
As they were
unlocking the door
my wife heard me
coming up on the
porch behind her
but couldn’t figure
out how I’d gotten
there so fast. Only
it wasn’t me. I was
still beside the
cabin messing
with my hammock.
stormy seas and even graveyards to rescue
His people, and He’s still in the rescue
business today.
But in an even greater way, God
promises the hope of rescue beyond
the grave. “In this world you will have
trouble,” Jesus said, “but take heart. I
have overcome the world” (John 16:33.)
So while you may not encounter
any legendary forest creatures this
week, you can count on encountering
trouble. And, more importantly, you
can count on a very real God who has
already overcome even our greatest
fears. •
Jason Byerly is a writer, pastor, husband and
dad who loves the quirky surprises God
sends his way every day. You can read more
from Jason in his books Tales from the Leaf Pile
and Holiday Road. You can catch up with Jason
on his blog at www.jasonbyerly.com.
Southern Indiana Living • May/June 2024 • 29