Don't Forget the Bunnies

So yesterday as I was frantically trying to get my thoughts down into my ginormous post, I forgot to write about half the story--the best part of the story really.

When the kids and I (and sometimes John) go for a walk, we always go on the bike path just about a hundred yards from our house. Since we live on a hill, no matter which way we get on the path we have to go downhill to start our journey. It's a great way to get warmed up for the run or walk, but not always such a great way to end the trek.

As I was trudging up the hill--and I don't say trudge lightly, I never knew what "trudging" looked like but I do now--all I could think was, "Ohhhhh, I don't know if I can take more of this hill! I'm dog tired AND I'm pushing the stroller that with both kids and the weight of the stroller is about another 70 pounds. Oh, I hope I can get there." So here I am trudging along, putting one foot in front of the other, and I looked up and saw a rabbit in someone's yard. I pointed him out to Amelia and she was so excited. I took it as a good excuse to rest for a minute, so I slowly pushed the stroller just a little closer to the yard so she could say "hi" to the little rabbit. He was maybe 3 feet from us, and just stood there stock still, staring at us, trying to figure out our motives. After we got our bunny fix, we slowly moved on and he continued to sit there in the grass, watching us leave. We trudged a little farther up the hill and saw two more baby bunnies, just little things, playing in the grass. And another one just a little farther up from them. I pointed them out to Amelia and they hopped away as we got closer. I paused again so we could stop and look at the sweet little babies. Then we trudged on farther, on the way toward home.

To get home from the bike path, it is straight up the hill, turn at the top, and up MORE hill. As I was barely putting one foot in front of the other pushing this stroller up the final stretch, I thought about those bunnies and how the evening's journey had parallels to my own life. Sometimes I am so focused on putting one foot in front of the other that I don't even notice the bunnies. I'm so busy going about the day to day activities that I don't take the time to stop and enjoy my children who will be grown before I know it. I focus on the aches and pains of running (raising little ones) that I don't take the time to enjoy the scenery.

Sometimes we get so focused on a goal that all we do is keep running. We don't slow down to walk, or even stop on occasion. Before we know it, we're at the end of the race and we wonder where all those miles went, and we never notice the bunnies sitting in the grass. And sometimes all we can see are the hills. "I can't possibly make it up that hill! I can't possibly handle another challenge right now, God!" I am soooo guilty of that one. I spend too much time focusing on the hill in front of me that I forget why it's there. The hill is just as much a part of the training as the smooth, flat pavement. How can we build endurance if all we ever run are the straight paths? Without the hills, we can't be shaped into our true selves. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4) That has to be my least favorite verse ever. Why? Because it is HARD! Why would I want to be HAPPY about my trials?! The first time I read that verse I actually laughed. I believe the exact words out of my mouth were, "I knew God had a sense of humor, but THIS is RIDICULOUS!!!" Over time, I have come to see how true those words are though. Some of our greatest trials can become the source of our greatest blessings over time. The very things that have broken my heart and threatened to break my spirit have become the things that, when people ask me, "Would you change that about your life?" I answer with a resounding, "Not a chance!"

Blessings come in many different packages, and you really can't judge them by their wrapping paper. Sometimes the package wrapped in the Sunday comics holds a box full of treasures, and the package wrapped in shiny paper and tied up with a beautiful ribbon holds a box of dog poo. You just don't know until you open it.

My prayer for myself right now is that I can learn to take the time to stop the running and walk awhile, and maybe even stop and look at the bunnies from time to time. That I can look at the hill and say, "Here I come!" instead of, "Oh Lord, I can't make it up another hill...." And when I feel like I can't put one foot in front of the other anymore that day, I pray that I can sit down awhile and say, "Lord, if you want me to reach the top of that hill, you're going to have to pick me up and carry me."