If you're a mom, you've been there. You've been to that ever-so frightening place in time where you suddenly want to rear up like a ferocious mother bear and take out whoever is messing with your baby cub.
I've been there a few times lately. My baby cub has been out doing its thing, romping through the bushes and exploring the world, when suddenly I've gotten wind of something, someone, threatening its sweet little ego...feelings...success...heart... Um, well, my cub just got hurt, plain and simple. And this Mama Bear didn't like it...one bit.
And when my Mama Bear instincts kick in I'm ready to rip someone apart. I'm just putting it to you plainly. Truthfully.
Unlike any wild mama bear, however, I have managed to refrain myself for the most part. Refrain from writing a nasty e-mail...making a phone call or two...marching right up there and giving them what for. At least so far.
If you've watched any Lifetime television at all (and I don't suggest you do, if you haven't), then you're probably familiar with the Texas Cheerleader Mom. Truly there has been an incident in Texas where a mom took that mama bear instinct a little too far and sought to take matters into her own hands when her daughter was trying out for a coveted spot on the cheerleading team. Wanda Holloway asked her brother to hire a hit man to kill the mother of one of her daughter's classmates so that she'd drop out of the competition. Wanda was tried and convicted of solicitation and capital murder, but later the conviction was overturned due to a technicality in the jury. Later she pleaded no contest to the charges and served all of 6 months of a 10 year prison term. All the same, hopefully Ms. Holloway learned that it doesn't pay to rear up like a mama bear just because the instinct kicks in.
Today I read about Jezebel and Ahab in 2 Kings 1. Ahab was Jezebel's wimpy weasel of a husband, not her child, but still she stepped in like an angry bear when he didn't get what he wanted. He was told no, he pouted, she determined that he should get what he wanted, and she made it happen. Lies, deception, murder, and mayhem ensued.
But there was a price to pay for this wicked woman's manipulation of events. God saw. God was displeased. Vengeance belongs to God and He always gets His man...or woman.
Hopefully you nor I have considered hiring a hit man to protect our cubs. And hopefully we haven't even resorted to ruthless lies or gossip or manipulation.
But I bet you've been tempted to write that e-mail, pick up the phone or march right up there. Maybe you, like me, have even...gasp!...followed through on such instincts once or twice. What do you think about that?
What do you think God thinks about that?
Here's what I felt Him speak to me this morning.
"Kay, I love your child more than you do. I have wonderful plans for her and no one can thwart those plans. So if someone gets in her way, messes things up, doesn't reward her efforts like you think they should, you can know that their behavior, words, or whatever had to pass muster with Me first. I haven't allowed anything into her life that will ultimately destroy her. In fact, I only allow what will build her, grow her, develop her into someone I can use for even bigger things than you can imagine. I have her in the palm of My hand and I will not allow her to be destroyed, only groomed. You don't need to take things into your hands because I've got this under control."
What a relief.
I'm not saying we should never step up to the plate for our children. But I do know we shouldn't do so in anger or out of revenge. There are plenty of other Lifetime movies that illustrate that point. There will be times when we must be our child's advocate, but only after we've taken the matter to his or her greatest advocate, Jesus.
Being a mom is tough, huh? I'd love to know how you manage to keep your cool when your cub is "mistreated." After all, we're daughters of the king, not wild animals. We might want to remember that when we feel the urge to "rear up."Labels: Navigating Motherhood, parenting, Walk Through the Bible
