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Some time ago there was a documentary on television about wildlife in their natural environment. This program showed a pregnant black bear chasing her cubs up a tree. She was growling at these two-year-old cubs who ran up the tree, not knowing their mother's purpose. After the cubs got to the top of the tree the mother left the scene. At first it appeared that perhaps she had left to go to obtain food for her cubs. Then it was speculated that the mother bear went off to protect her cubs from some invader. After some time it was revealed by the announcer that the truth of the matter was that this was how mother bears do parenting. She abandoned her cubs on purpose so that she could go and prepare for her unborn cubs. Her instincts told her that at two years her little cubs were ready to be on their own. In fact, after she had been gone for a while the cubs did come down from that tree. When they got on the ground they looked around, grunted, and then went about gathering berries.

This could never happen to human two-year-olds. If we were abandoned at that age we would have a difficult time getting over it all. If we survived, it would affect us for the rest of our lives. We are not built that way. We were created by God to be cared for and for someone to look after us.

Most often we see the law of God as only our nemesis in relation to forgiveness and grace. Shouldn't we also see the law as our caretaker and custodian?

Source: Patricia Love, The Emotional Incest Syndrome (New York City: Bantam Books), p. 119. Used by permission.