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Recently I've thought a great deal about bear attacks. Given that I live in the Chicago suburbs, I probably have little to fear. (The only Bears we have here aren't especially threatening due to a weak passing game.) Nonetheless, I'm currently dwelling on savage bear maulings.

The preoccupation started simply enough. In preparation for an upcoming trip to Alaska, I turned to the Worst-Case Scenario book series for information. These how-to books teach a whole assortment of helpful lessons in surviving shark bites, muggings, and that annoying little paperclip guy on Word. (At least, that's what I imagine is in the book.) To really be safe, I checked with the National Park Service too.

Did you know that Alaska has three types of bears? There are all sorts of grisly things they can do to you. Especially in a tag-team situation, which I'm sure could happen. Even worse, there's a lot to remember during an attack. You should play dead with a brown bear, but fight a black bear. However, if the bear doesn't charge, you should act "human." (Acting human in this case apparently means talking loudly and waving your arms as opposed to having a conscience, using opposable thumbs, or balancing a checkbook).

I'm most concerned that I would play dead when I'm supposed to act human. I'm also worried that I'll take too long deciding if the bear's hair is brown or black … or maybe it's a dirty blonde. Then what happens?

In all honesty, I know I have little to fear; there really aren't that many bear deaths each year. But considering the worst possible outcome of anything can give you a little pause. Just think about all the silly things we dwell on compulsively anyway. Some of us worry about car accidents or that someone is mad at us or that we left the dryer on. Let me be honest about one of mine: For weeks, I've been wrestling with asking a girl out.

In my defense, asking someone out can be a big deal. You don't know what she'll say. You can't predict the aftermath. What if the "signs" you picked up were nervous tics? What if she's carefree whereas you stay up at night thinking about bear attacks? What if she doesn't like Star Wars?

On top of not knowing what will happen in the relationship, there are multiple things at stake: she could be co-worker, a close friend, the younger sister of a close friend, someone in your singles group, or someone just out of prison. There's going to be some awkwardness in each case.

For Christians, there are added complications. What if that girl isn't a Christian? What if she has a "past"? What if she's too liberal or too conservative? And then we add to all the mounting pressure because we aren't just looking for a good time, we're hoping to find "the one." Before we know it, we're not just looking for someone to get coffee with but are considering if this person we've spoken to twice could be a good spouse and parent.

This mysterious thought process has made dating a much bigger deal in my head than it should be. It's as if I should be handing out a 12-page application and requiring dental exams. I mean, it's a date. It's an invitation to talk to someone for a little longer. The stakes shouldn't be that high, right? Well, it's hard to get that to sink in.

Last weekend, I was talking to a friend about my struggle to just get over it and ask this girl out. That's when I thought about bear attacks. (That's no reflection upon the girl.) To be more specific, I thought, Okay, what's the worst-case scenario here?

You know what it is? She says no.

That's it. The other person says no. It hurts to be rejected, sure, but there's great reassurance in the idea that the worst thing that can possibly happen is that she says no. Sure, there could be a few awkward silences in the hallway, at church, or in your apartment building. Or maybe she won't look at you the next couple of times you run into her at the coffee shop. And yes, in some cases it can hurt a friendship.

However, if getting to know this person a little more is on your heart and you've prayed about it, think about the worst-case scenario if you don't act. Instead of spending time together with this person, you could be wandering the streets of your neighborhood when you slip on a stray skateboard, speed down a hill, through a briar patch, and over a cliff, where you hit a branch halfway down and lose all feeling in your legs. And then a dirty-blonde bear attacks.

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