Teddy Bear Mishap

Last night Bob and I went to Target and bought these three teddy bears to take to church tomorrow for the blessing of the bears. “Why bless the bears?” you might wonder. Teddy bears don’t need blessings. They’re just toys. But these bears are special. Tomorrow morning, members of our congregation will walk into church carrying bears and place them on the altar. During the service the bears will be blessed. Then, on Wednesday night, church members will take the bears caroling to the nursing homes and rehab centers in our community. With each person we pass by as we sing in the halls, the dining room, and the bedrooms, we will leave behind a teddy bear as a Christmas gift.

If you could go along on these caroling expeditions, to see the eager smiles, the hands reaching out to receive a bear and then holding it close, or to hear a voice say, “Do you have a bear for me?” you would understand that the blessing isn’t for the bears, but for the people who receive them. Several years ago, I presented a bear to one little woman. She held it while we sang, and when we turned to leave, she tried to hand the bear back to me. When I said, “You don’t have to give it back, it’s yours to keep,” she replied with wonder in her voice, “It’s for me?” At that moment, I felt as if I was the one being given a gift. The caroling will bless them for the moment, but the bears will remain, sitting on their bedside tables or sleeping beside them in the bed, tangible evidence of the love that brought them there.

Epilogue: The mishap part

When I set the bears on this chair last night, suddenly Gulliver was by my side. He sniffed at the bears, and then, deciding that they must be new toys, just for him, he took one by the leg and started to carry it off. “No, Gulliver,” I exclaimed. “These aren’t for you.” Picking up the three bears, I moved them up to the table, but that didn’t discourage Gulliver. Determined that they were FOR HIM, as soon as I turned my back, he grabbed the largest bear and took off with it. I retrieved it, put all three bears into a bag, and set the bag high up out of his reach. The bears are safe, but I’m pretty sure that for a while, I wasn’t Gulliver’s favorite person.