Welcome home Mr. Polar Bear; Inviting Others In
As our family paraded around the department store looking for new towels, my four-year-old had found a beautiful, white stuffed polar bear she claimed as her own. When we walked to the register I could tell that parting with the polar bear was going to be a fight and I had to decide if it was one worth having. Though we have multitudes of stuffed animals at home, my youngest had extra Christmas money to spend, so the animal was added to the posse already gathered on her bed.
That night, as I tucked her into bed, she lined up all of her animals against her wall, picked up the new polar bear and held him close to her. She turned and was whispering quietly facing her wall. When I asked her what she was doing her response went a little like this:
“Mommy, Polar Bear doesn’t know anyone. I’m telling him it's ok and I will help him.”
How often do we need someone to open the circle a little wider for us to enter? How incredible to not only be welcomed, but to be reassured that we will not be alone as we enter into someone else’s circle. My daughter desperately wanted Polar Bear to be included and wanted him to feel comfortable in this new surrounding.
Polar Bear obviously did not need reassuring, but watching my four-year-old reminded me how much our human instinct desires to be reassured we are not alone. No one told her Polar Bear may be scared entering into a new room with new “friends.” But her little four-year-old heart knew on instinct that Polar Bear needed someone bigger, wiser, and faithful to reassure him someone had him.
God offers to be the One that reassures, promising we will never be alone. In the Bible God promises us over and over He will never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5, Deut. 31:8, Heb. 13:6). And having Him as a constant companion offers so much peace. But are we willing to also be that to others. Are we willing to hold space for someone else to enter our circle? Are we willing to whisper: it's ok, you don’t have to go this alone? Once we’ve accepted reassurance from our Creator that He welcomes us into His circle, our role is to then extend that same grace to those standing outside of our circle.
Today when your heart feels a little unsure, be reminded that God in his Word promises He’s got you. He will whisper in your ear, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15). And then, with that confidence, be willing to hold space in the circle and invite others in.
