The weather has been so beautiful this week that I decided to take Lena and Levi to the park yesterday. Something, I'm sure, will be happening a lot. After swinging and walking the trail around the park, Lena wanted to go down the slide. Last year Garth taught her how to climb the steps and go down the slide by herself. So now that's a favorite at the park.
So after having the slide to herself for a while, another little girl came over to play on it as well. A great opportunity to teach Lena about sharing. Well...until the unthinkable happened. As Lena was climbing the stairs to take her turn (with me standing right beside her), the little girl starts climbing the narrow steps and squeezes herself between Lena and the bars and pushes past Lena nearly knocking her off the steps. Lena begins to wail and that's when it happened...the mama bear came out in me.
Now mama bear has made an appearance once or twice before, but not under these circumstances. Mama bear was angry. Mama bear scolded the little girl while her mom sat and watched, doing nothing.
When Lena had calmed down a little, I encouraged her to try the slide again. As soon as she saw that little girl come close, the wailing starts again. How dare anyone do that to my little girl. When she once again starts pushing past Lena on the steps, the mother comes over and tells her to wait her turn. But in mama bear's eyes, it was too little too late. Lena didn't want to go on the slide anymore that day.
Although very few words were spoken, my body language was speaking pretty loudly. I realized then that I need to tame the bear. The bear needs to learn to show love in unfair situations not just because little cubs are watching but because it's how we are called to live.
Kathy ~
ReplyDeleteI was really blessed while reading your post "Taming the Bear." You told the story well, and your conclusion is beautiful--and so wise ! You've definitely got it right, according to God's Word. Still, I believe God designed mothers to naturally have a mama bear instinct. I saw my own instinct flare up a number of times when Garth and Summer were growing up (and again it flared when Lena and I were in your backyard when she was just a few months old. The neighbor's yellow cat walked over to where Lena was on a blanket. I immediately went over to Lena and gave that cat a stern warning to leave her alone ...AND I made a sincere promise to personally wring his neck if he scratched her.) So, yes, my mama bear instinct is still alive and well when I sense that one of my precious grandchildren is in possible danger! No apologies from me about having it, either.