Momma Bears

When I think of scary things, I sometimes think of big cats (e.g., lions) or crocodiles or venomous spiders. Having watched my fair share of wildlife documentaries and inevitably witnessing nature's ferocity, I’m not sure how anyone could not be frightened by the sheer danger these creatures represent. Oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention sharks, too…yikes, right?!! One word - Jaws.

The dichotomy is that some of these wild animals are downright beautiful to watch (I’m just glad I’m not making my living as a wildlife cameraman). For example, have you ever seen a grizzly bear just sort of minding its own business, going fishing for a bit? It’s truly a sight to behold because while they are enormous creatures, they possess incredible dexterity. They are among the earth’s greatest fishers. I recall watching a National Geographic video where a momma bear was teaching her cubs how to fish - pretty comical, actually…cute, even…from a distance, that is.

Grizzly bear cubs will stay with their mother for two to three years before venturing off to establish their own home range. And even then, it’s likely the cubs will remain close to their mother’s range, especially the female ones. C’mon now, doesn’t this sound a little like humans??? Like I said, it’s downright cute.

As cute as grizzly bear cubs are, you’d better not ever get near one with the momma bear around. The adorable little scene you imagined in your head would soon become a nightmare!

It’s no mystery that momma grizzlies are fiercely protective of their cubs. Besides the derelicts I’ve run across, most human mothers I’ve known are just as fierce when it comes to protecting their young. In fact, I’ve joked from my pulpit that there are a lot of dangers I’d rather face than finding myself squaring off with an angry “momma bear”…and for the record, I’m not a wimpy guy. I actually believe, with no disrespect to men, that when it comes to protecting their kids, there are few people who would sacrifice more, and more readily, than a loving mother.

In general, I believe mothers would die just as soon as they’d live for their kids. As sweet and gentle as they can be, I also believe they can be very dangerous to predators eying their young. My advice is to never poke the bear, especially not the little ones while their mother’s watching, for their momma will do just about anything to preserve the safety and wellbeing of her cubs. A mother’s strength is nothing shy of astounding.

Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her.
The Bible depicts “momma bears” throughout its pages. They are given a special charge and a special place in Holy Scripture. Arguably the most famous, of course, is Mary, Jesus’ mother. However, there are many more worthy of our attention, most of which can be seen in one way or another functioning as “momma bears”, keeping a close eye on their “cubs”. We may not read about them pouncing on predators, but we do see a much greater strength expressed through them, by grace through faith.A faithful woman of God is both gracious and tenacious. Make her a mother and she often becomes even more so when it comes to her kids. I believe this is why, in keeping with our grizzly bear analogy, a good mother’s children never stray too far from her home range, even as adults (I speak figuratively as much as literally). I believe it is often the case that the greatest strength a child ever sees is that which exudes from their faithful mother. There are few things engendering more loyalty than knowing another human is wholly willing to lay down their life for you…willing to do whatever it takes to ensure your safety. Mothers are like Jesus, huh? Yup. He redeemed us from slavery, just like the mother did here:Now a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the LORD; and the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in the house?” And she said, “Your maidservant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go, borrow vessels at large for yourself from all your neighbors, even empty vessels; do not get a few. And you shall go in and shut the door behind you and your sons, and pour out into all these vessels, and you shall set aside what is full.” 

So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons; they were bringing the vessels to her and she poured. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not one vessel more.” And the oil stopped. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debt, and you and your sons can live on the rest.”The mother in this story, widowed and working exhaustively, took it upon herself to ensure her two children weren’t taken away as slaves. Her good labor redeemed them (sound like the Cross?). Her resourcefulness was remarkable. Are you surprised? I’m not. That’s what mothers do - whatever’s necessary. As was the case here, and even in the next account in scripture (read 2 Kings 4:8-37), and in life as we know it today, we might take it for granted how determined this woman was. It’s beautiful. Mothers are beautiful.I’m sure many of you reading this can relate to what I’m about to say. One of my greatest blessings of all time is the unshakable memory of knowing that as a “cub” my mother would have died to protect my siblings and me - let me be selfish for a moment and say “to protect ME” because it’s that personal. And as a result of knowing this, I feel loved. It’s funny, I feel like one of those NFL players on TV after a big win right now, but who cares, can’t I give my “momma bear” a shout out? “Thanks mom, for instilling in me this precious gift - your love.” I encourage you to do the same. Go tell your mom that you appreciate her, even if she wasn’t the “best”, even if she failed you miserably at times…you’re alive, aren’t you??? You might say, “Yeah, by the grace of God!” Well, maybe, just maybe, God used your mom to work His grace in your life. Don’t be a nincompoop and wait until some commercial holiday like “Mothers Day” to thank her!God made mothers. Then He gave them incredible strength extending beyond human comprehension. This makes sense because God’s grace is like that - it stretches far beyond our natural abilities and it provides us with true peace. Who’s to say that God hasn’t, in part, blessed us with the knowledge of His own love through our mothers??? I certainly believe this to be the case. As chaotic as our lives may have been as children at times, if we were so fortunate to have received it, one of the bedrocks of peace was our “momma bear’s” love. In many ways, it’s indescribable. I guess that’s why God made hugs, too…when words fail us.And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.Love in Christ,Ed Collins