“May you experience Christ’s love, though it is too perfect to understand fully.” ~ Ephesians 3:18-19
It began in 1902 on a hunting trip
President Roosevelt took the Mississippi governor’s invitation. Noted for its
dense briars and endless swamps, his host insisted that the President remain in
camp until a was bear spotted. His absence from the actual chase seemed disturbing
to a man who prided himself on living the hardy life - “the tougher the
hunt, the better.”
Guides tracked down an old black bear and secured it to a
willow tree. They summoned Roosevelt and suggested that he shoot it.
The President took one look at the old bear and refused. Doing
so would be “unsportsmanlike!” he declared. He believed in hunting only under “fair
chase” conditions. True sportsmanship, he reasoned, provided a clear distinction
between commercial slaughter-for-profit and ethical conservation. That
sportsman's code would later form the foundation for today’s game laws.
News of Roosevelt’s ethical
gesture soon spread quickly through newspapers across the country. Articles
recounted the story of the “big-game-hunter-president who refused to shoot a defenseless
bear. Political cartoonist Clifford Berryman picked up on the story, drawing a
cartoon lightheartedly satirizing Roosevelt, dressed in full rough rider
uniform, with his back to a corralled, frightened, and very docile bear cub,
refusing to draw his weapon.
With Roosevelt's permission to use his name, the Michtoms began
mass-producing the toy bears. Soon, they were selling so many of the loveable
toys, they shut down their candy shop and opened a new toy company - ‘The Ideal
Toy Company.’
Other entrepreneurs quickly followed suit, making their own
versions of the teddy bear. Roosevelt even used the teddy bear as his mascot
when he ran for re-election.
Teddy bears are one of the loveliest and cutest gifts one
can give to a loved one. These cuddly toys have a certain allure that makes the
perfect companion. They have the gentle brown hues and kitten-soft fur from
which childhood dreams are made. Coal black eyes emote the innocence, humility,
and goodness we had as children and desperately need in today’s society.
Teddy Bears remind us of a childlike faith - that sense of
security and comfort we gain simply by their presence. God loves us more than
any beloved Child’s possession. And His constant friendship reminds us of the
comfort, security, and love that can only be found in Him.
