The Bear Facts

by Marsha Jordan

    We had an uninvited guest for dinner not too long ago night. As I sat in a chair next to my patio door reading a book, a 200 pound black bear sauntered up the steps to the patio, walked past me, and tore down the bird feeder hanging on the deck. Even when my husband opened the door and yelled at him TWICE, the bear was not too eager to leave. I don't like the fact that their hunger makes them braver than usual. They are unafraid of people this time of year when there's not much for them to eat.

    When we raised bees, the local bears routinely knocked down the hives to steal our honey. When they continued to do this even after we put the hives on our front porch, we stopped raising bees. We weren't going to all that work (and pain) just to feed the wildlife. We gave up gardening for the same reason. Each year, the deer beat us to the harvest. We once had a deer walk right up onto the first step of our porch while I was standing about three feet away! It was determined to eat the pansies I was going to plant!

    Hunger makes animals braver than they should be. They should know better than to walk right up to people like they sometimes do. It gets a lot of them killed.

    Similarly, our human appetites can hurt us, too. Does your appetite for food, material possessions, praise, power, control, status, etc. make you lose your common sense sometimes? It caused Esau to give away his birthright as the oldest son in his family:

When Jacob had cooked stew, Esau came in from the field and he was famished; and Esau said to Jacob, "Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished." But Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright." .. . . And Jacob said, "First swear to me"; so he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. " (Genesis 25:29-34)

    Just the smell of his brother's lentil stew cooking made Esau abandon his good sense. He was willing to sacrifice anything for instant gratification. I don't believe lentils would be a temptation for me, but chocolate is another story.

    Lack of self-control and a greedy desire to satisfy our cravings for the things we desire can lead us down a destructive path.

"Many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, WHOSE GOD IS THEIR APPETITE, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things." (Philippians 3:18-20)

Posted: 06/17/2003
URL: http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200306/20030617_bear.html

(c) Copyright 2003 by Marsha Jordan, creator of the HUGS and HOPE Club, and a disabled grandma who cares about kids and does whatever she can to help them. A contributor to the book "A Million & One Ways to Celebrate a Child," a powerful collection of real-life stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things for children. Jordan's story, entitled "Love, Happiness, and Sticky Peanut Butter," is one of the many true sources of inspiration in the book. Part of the proceeds from book sales will benefit the HUGS and HOPE Club for Sick Children. To learn more about the book and the HUGS and HOPE club, visit <http://www.hugsandhope.com>www.hugsandhope.com>

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