Do you feel as though you’ve been living through a bad dystopian novel during the first part of 2020? Dental cleanings, church services, Easter bunny photos – prohibited. Little league? Cancelled. Skating parties with classmates? Cancelled. Public school and extra-curricular activities ground to a screeching halt, and phrases like “new normal” and “unprecedented educational disruption” have been bandied about.
Moms all across the world were suddenly thrust into the super human role of teacher – teleworker – referee – activities director overnight, and millions of parents began spinning plates to keep their families functioning.
Bravo, Mama. You did what you had to do in a messy slog through uncharted territory, and you seriously deserve a medal.
One activity I kept seeing all over social media involved parents taking their children on a “bear hunt.” In cities and neighborhoods around the world, people and businesses placed teddy bears in their windows so children could count the bears as they passed by on foot or in a car. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury is a beautifully illustrated picture book published in 1989. Based upon a traditional American folk song, it features five children and their dog hunting for a bear, and it’s a read-aloud story that millions of children have grown up reading.
When life events bring chaos and confusion, children long for comfort, and the first thing that struck me about the bear hunt initiative is this. There’s nothing quite as comforting to a child as reading one of their favorite books. Reading and re-reading a much-loved story brings peace to little troubled hearts, because there are no surprises, and they can rest in the familiar.
The second thing that struck me is this. One of the sentences used frequently in We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is one that gives Christian parents the perfect launching point to talk about faith in God.
“We’re not scared.”
Each time there is a new scene, the children declare their purpose; they’re on a bear hunt. And then they declare their bravery. Repeatedly.
“We’re not scared.”
What a golden teaching opportunity!
“Are there scary things happening in the world, Mama?”
“Yes, little one. But we’re not scared, because we have a God who knows our names and how many hairs we have on our heads.”
“Are you scared about Granny getting sick, Mama?”
“Sometimes, but the Bible tells us that the Lord is our helper, so I will have no fear.”
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the unknown individual(s) who dreamed up this activity. Not only did you help harried moms pass the time with bored and heartbroken children, but you did it with a book that proclaims over and over again that, “We’re not scared.”
Are we annoyed? Yes. Tired? You bet! Unsure? Absolutely. But we can rest on the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John that say, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV.
Allison Mackey is a middle-grade author with Lifeway/B&H Kids. Her debut novel The Edge of Everywhen¸ which touches on faith in God during difficult times, comes out May 12, 2020. She lives in Alabama with her husband, and has three adult children.
