2 minute read
My Place With Jesus
What animal climbs trees, is a great swimmer, and is an expert fisherman? It’s … a bear! There are eight species of bears, and six of them are endangered. There are Asian black bears, brown bears, giant panda bears, North American black bears, polar bears, sloth bears, spectacled bears, and sun bears.
See if you know the answers to these questions. (You’ll find the answers at the bottom of this page.) 1. What is a group of bears called? 2. What is a male bear called? 3. What are the female bears called? 4. What do we call baby bears?
Bears have a very good sense of smell, and even though bears will eat some meat, their diet consists mainly of berries, nuts, and roots.
Bears are well known for hibernating. Groundhogs, snails, wood frogs, and even bumblebees also hibernate. During hibernation, animals enter a state of inactivity. An animal hibernates to conserve energy, usually during a time that their food supply is low—typically during the winter. Bears don’t sleep the entire time they hibernate, but they don’t eat or drink and rarely go to the bathroom.
Cubs 4.
Sows 3.
A boar 2.
In very cold areas, bears might hibernate for seven months, although they will come out of their dens if they need to, especially if their den gets flooded or damaged. Hibernating bears don’t always sleep in dens. Bears have been found hibernating in places such as in road culverts, under the porches of homes, and even on a pile of leaves!
A bear’s body goes through some incredible changes during hibernation. Their body temperature lowers by 5 to 10 degrees, their heart slows down to 10 beats a minute, and their rate of breathing drops significantly.
The Bible talks about many of God’s people experiencing a time of extended rest. The Bible describes death as a dreamless sleep, which continues until the resurrection day when Jesus returns. At that time, those who have slept the sleep of death will wake to join Jesus, the angels, and all of God’s children on the incredible journey to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). They will never get sick again, and will live with Jesus forever in the earth made new! What a wonderful day that will be!
While losing a loved family member or friend is very sad, we can take comfort in the promise of the resurrection. Jesus is the resurrection and the litfe (John 11:25)!
Help tHe bear find its den!
MELISSA BRADSHAW is the My Place With Jesus director for It Is Written. Melissa and her husband, John Bradshaw, have two children and live in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, area.
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