By Katy Mariotti
Always Near
“And behold I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20, English Standard Version
Living in the forest close to the mountains has its pluses and minuses when it comes to wild life. Sometimes the bears break into your car (see a previous blog post I wrote), but sometimes you get to see babies, like this precious baby bear who crossed our driveway one evening. We’ve seen this baby around a couple times, on our camera and once just looking out the window!
But do you think this baby bear is alone? Every other time we’ve seen it it has been with a sibling and a mom, which prompted me to ask upon seeing it this time, “where’s your mama?” If you’ve ever been in bear territory, you have probably heard that if you ever see a baby bear, you should assume it’s not alone. Mama Bear is somewhere near, whether you see her or not, and she’s ready to protect that baby at all costs!
I love thinking of God like a Mama Bear. God promises to be always with us. He’s always nearby, ready to protect! Wouldn’t it be neat if when people saw us, they immediately thought, “God must be near!” We can remind people of that in the way that we follow Him and in the way that we love others.
We can also think of this in reverse. God is there for our neighbors as well; how would He feel knowing how we are treating them? Are we loving and compassionate? Trustworthy and kind? Patient and protective? Would God think His child is safe in our presence?
I thank God today for being always with us, and I pray that we can remember His presence in our interactions with others!
Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado
