The Blessings of Books and Bunnies

Bunny rabbits! Aren’t they just the cutest little things?

It’s almost springtime, and springtime makes me think of bunny rabbits. God certainly showcased His talent when He formed these whiskery, twitchy-nosed, fluffy-tailed, cuddly creatures.

We humans are very much like some of my favorite book bunnies.

Take Peter Rabbit, for example. His mother gives him fair warning.

“You may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Mr. McGregor’s garden. . . . Now run along and don’t get into mischief.”—from Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (©1958 by Western Publishing Company, Inc.)

This adventurous critter finds himself in a whole heap of trouble when he does exactly what his mother tells him not to do! He eats too much, he loses his way, he becomes distracted by the world around him, and he wears himself out with all his comings and goings.

How often do we, like Peter Rabbit, disobey our Maker’s warnings? Our world is full of dangers in places like Mr. McGregor’s garden, but we do not heed the warnings.

Margaret Wise Brown’s The Runaway Bunny (©1942 by Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc.) shares another example of a bunny rabbit with a mind of his own. While his mother gives him free will to go where he wants to go and be what he wants to be, she promises to be with him through it all and “catch you in my arms and hug you,” she says. Wow! Isn’t that what God promises us as well?

The Velveteen Rabbit (©1922 by Doubleday, Doran & Company, Inc.), another classic bunny story, symbolizes our journey as Christians. This rabbit longs to be real. His friend, the wise Skin Horse, explains that becoming real is something that happens when you are loved, and it might sometimes hurt.

“Becoming real, whether you are a rabbit or a human, means stepping out from the crowd and setting yourself up as a target for those who don’t know what love is or what it does. It can hurt, but it’s worth it.

Becoming real is a journey for many Christians, but it’s a journey begun. It begins with His love, which is already there, and it ends when we completely accept it and love Him back.”—from Book Lover’s Devotional (©2011 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.)

Even though the velveteen rabbit grows old and shabby, the pink lining on his ears turns gray, and he begins to lose his shape, he knows he has been loved; and that is the magic that makes him real.

This “magic” can make us all real if we accept the love of Christ in our hearts.

Jeremy: The Tale of an Honest Bunny (©2000 by Viking), written by Jan Karon, tells a similar story of a bunny who becomes real so that he can make his journey and fulfill his purpose. As Lydia, the lady who has lovingly made this bunny, sends him on his way to his new home, she says, “I have spoken to my maker about your journey, and you must carry these words with you: ‘For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.’”

Yes, God gives His angels charge over us as we journey throughout our lives. Even when we disobey His will or doubt His purpose or encounter hardships along the way, He is always with us because He made us out of love.

When we fall, He will catch us in His arms. We can find Him in the comfort of chamomile tea, the beauty of a crocus in a hidden garden, the sage advice of a caring friend, and in the angels all along our way.

My father died on an Easter Sunday morning many years ago, and my mother told me she saw a rabbit in her back yard for several days following his funeral. This rabbit served as a sign of comfort to her and might very well have been one of those angels keeping charge.

This spring I hope you will read some bunny books to the children in your life. May you also take the time to bask in the beauty of God’s creation. Along your daily journey, maybe you’ll see a bunny that will make you smile.

“To see a rabbit in the wild, possibly nibbling on vegetation or hopping about with their mates, is to experience a moment of pure joy. For an instant, times stands still.”—Mark Hawthorne

“’Owl,’ said Rabbit shortly, ‘you and I have brains. The others have fluff. If there is any thinking to be done in this Forest—and when I say thinking I mean thinking—you and I must do it.’”—A. A. Milne

Psalm 139:14; Psalm 91:11; Psalm 104:24; Romans 12:2