Bears

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement
Bears

Our group of small children were quite taken with the bears in the zoo. Their big brown bodies lumbered about their generous space on the hot, hot afternoon at about the same pace we adults were moving. We were all a bit envious when they immersed themselves in their nice pond. A good dunking would have felt good about then. To the delight of the children, the bears sometimes made eye contact but mostly they enjoyed splashing about in their pool. Having enjoyed several story books about bears such as We Are Going on a Bear Hunt, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and A Bear Called Paddington, the children benefited from seeing real live bears from a safe distance. Real bears are big, and they command respect. When they yawned on that hot summer day, they displayed big teeth quite capable of tearing meat. The nails on their paws appear threatening. The opportunity to see these fascinating animals and realize how they differ from cuddly stuffed animals, helps children grow in comprehension of our big, amazing and sometimes dangerous world.

We read our children Bible stories about God. We read about famous encounters Biblical people had with lions, serpents, donkeys, and a whale. But just as reading about an animal is not like encountering the real live animal, face to face, so reading about God is not like encountering Him in real live situations. We can help our children encounter God by encouraging them to see Him in answered prayers as well as by recognizing Him in a spectacular sunset or mighty mountain. Don’t be afraid to pray with children. The more they are involved in prayer, the more often they have the chance to encounter our living God and be awed by Him and His mighty love, care, and power. Don’t worry about the times we have prayed and not seen the answer we want. That is also an opportunity to learn that God is not like a lucky charm. He is the power of the universe, Who also loves each person He created. He is real and in charge. We can trust Him even when what we see challenges our understanding. His ways are above our ways. He knows the end from the beginning. His love is beyond our complete understanding.