Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Bear


Last night Justin and I went to the Columbia Film Festival Screenplay Reading, we left Reuben with our friends. I had Reuben pick out a blanket, and let him take bear. We picked Reuben up, he had fallen asleep as I knew a blanket of his choice and Bear would make possible. I saw Bear in Reuben's sleeping arms, Reuben in Justin's arms, and the blanket over Justin's shoulder. When we got off the bus, Bear was not there.

Reuben noticed too and started to bawl. "Where is bear? Oh NO! where is he?" He cried the whole way home, the whole elevator ride, the whole get into bed routine, and a good 5 minutes until I begged Justin to call.

Justin called our friends, who couldn't find it in their apartment, and then graciously went out to retrace our steps to the bus. I had managed to calm Reuben by giving him his mail (the Disney Movie Club Ads) to sleep with.

We got a call, she found bear, on the ground.

I will admit that I said a prayer during that frantic Bear-might-be-lost-moment. I will admit that I made fun of the girl who bore her testimony about the perils of body surfing and how her prayer was answered to find her camera. I will admit that while I was begging God to spare Bear, my son who is unexplainably dependent on that stuffed animal, and me who would not be able to replace it--I realized that this was my punishment for making fun of the young woman and the lost camera due to body surfing.

From the second Reuben woke up this morning he was begging for Bear. He couldn't wait for the scheduled reunion. He went running down Riverside walk to get bear. He didn't put him down for a good hour, I had to rip it out of his hands so he would stop trying to climb the playground ladders with one hand.

Reuben and Bear are safely asleep right now. And I am thankful for a God who understands that a mother's prayer about a stuffed animal, and a teenaged girl's prayer about a camera are worth listening too. I am also thankful for an angel who are willing to go out at 11 o'clock at night in search for a 5 dollar toy.



6 comments:

Morgan said...

amen to that. i have a similar story about asher's blanky here in ny, but on the subway. glad you got his bear back!

Lark said...

"Nothing is to unimportant for God" (Elder Ashton.) Prayers answered about seemingly small things grow faith for what you will sometime find too big to deal with.

emilysuze said...

Thank goodness for answered prayers, good friends, and found toys.

charrette said...

What a great story. And I love your insights, and the candor you wrap them in.

Book you have to buy and read to Reuben asap: Knuffle Bunny. It is this exact story. And the illustrations (New York) are fabulous.

Angie said...

HA! You're not going to believe this, but... I bet I can guess who Reuben was staying with! This same night, I was coming home really late from work and as I walked by their house (they live next door), I saw a cute, love-worn teddy bear laying on the ground. I thought about picking it up, but I thought... no, someone will be back for it.

Such a small world.

Mindy said...

Reuben might have been praying for that bear too, and it is his memory that he might draw on later when he needs extra faith.
I can't believe how many times I have prayed to find something and have learned that my prayers are always answered, big or little.