Momma Bear Syndrome

Standing at the bridge last Tuesday night with my Homeless Outreach Team, I kept watching a very young couple.  This was their second time coming. She is pregnant and puts up a tough front; he looks lost and scared. This night the temperature was in the 30's and was lightly raining. They didn't have on much warm clothing, his cloth tennis shoes were soaking wet. We were all shivering but I knew I was going soon back to my warm home.  They had no where to go.

I always pray before heading out to the bridge asking God to guide me and the others.  This Momma Bear wanted to grab this young couple and bring them home but the Lord was saying, "NO". I was led though to give each of them a sleeping bag, blankets, a couple of bags filled with goodies,( new warm socks, gloves, chapstick, toiletry bags, handwarmers, a Bible, etc.) and I told them about a barn close by that would get them out of the frightful weather.  My heart broke as they took off in one direction and I drove off in the other.

The next morning with them still being on my mind, I posted a facebook status about them.  Immediately, two of my friends who live in other states commented back; one wanted to send money for the couple to be able to stay in a motel for a week and the other friend asked how she could help them with specific needs. I asked the director friend of mine who runs the nonprofit agency who our bridge ministry is under what her thoughts were and she said that would not change their circumstances and if it got out that they were given a room, everyone else out there would expect it and it just can't be done. I thought, "but I could do it on my own, it didn't have to be under the agency."

I then went to my prayer closet and went to the One who knows the answers to all.  He immediately brought to mind Tony. Tony is a former homeless friend of mine who lived under the bridge for 14 months. A year ago, he rededicated his life to the Lord and has been faithfully living for Him ever since. A month ago, Tony got a permanent job and is now living in his own place. I told him how sorry I was that he had to live under the bridge all that time and he said to me, "I'm not. I couldn't see Jesus before. God had to bring me to underneathe the bridge for me to see Him. If my needs had always been met, I may still not have seen Him to this day."  I was also told in my prayer closet that housing them for a week in a motel, it would just delay His plans.  I knew what I had to do.

As hard as it is for this Momma Bear, I felt God was telling me He has this young couple right where He wants them for now. I don't believe He put them out there, they did that themselves.  They made choices that led to where they are. But God can bring good out of a hard situation if people will let Him and others stay out of the way. I never want to step in His way and mess with His plans so I stepped back.

For me, one of the hardest things as a Christian is to step back in situations that are hard to look at. Momma Bear syndrome wants to kick in and step in and save the day.  But this world has only One Savior,(our Heavenly Father Bear).  He knows best.  Even when our best seems to make more sense, in the grand scheme of things, in the big picture, it really isn't.  Only God can see the BIG picture.  I only see parts of it at a time. Sometimes He tell me to go and sometimes He tells me to stay back. I have to be sure I'm listening to the One in charge.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord.

Isaiah 55:8

I know God has lessons for these two young kids and I have to trust that He will teach as He sees fit. And the lesson for me is to step back when He says to and trust Him, and to step forward and trust Him when He says "Go."  Key words here. . .trust and obey.

My Momma Bear syndrome will have to be tucked away for now but is on standby for when I hear the Savior say, "Ok. . .Momma Bear can come out now."

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