It’s not that there is a lack of bunnies in the yard; there are way too many! Those little monsters seem to know which plants are the most costly, and happily munch them to the ground. They’ll even chow down on stuff that’s supposed to be poisonous. Baby rabbits are the proverbial “dumb bunnies” and will eat any plant. They especially delight in munching just a tiny bit of stem, so that the plant is destroyed without being consumed. I’ve seen my Gerbera daisies mowed down by young rabbits.
Even with the surplus of those pernicious little rodent-like creatures in the yard, I still love my little life-size decorative resin bunny. He’s very polite, and has never wreaked destruction on the garden like those cute but naughty live rabbits.
After returning home from an extended absence, I was yanking out some Moon Vines that had literally grabbed our ankles as we walked up the back walk toward the porch, much like a scene from the movie “Jumanji.” Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of less than an inch of my favorite rabbit’s ears. Upon inspection, I saw that the Golden Creeping Jenny had done more than creep over the bunny, but had all but completely enveloped him! Poor bunny!
We all know what it feels like to be completely overwhelmed at times. My little resin rabbit didn’t care, but somehow it reminded me of how swamped I am with life’s ever-increasing tasks. Battling my own personal “Jumanji Land” is really the least of it.
Many times we are called to take on the “spiritual forces of wickedness” spoken of in Ephesians 6:12. Whacking back errant vines is child’s play in comparison.
“O Lord, the God of my salvation,
I have cried out by day and in the night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry!
For my soul has had enough troubles,
And my life has drawn near to Sheol.
I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit;
I have become like a man without strength,
Forsaken among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And they are cut off from Your hand.
You have put me in the lowest pit,
In dark places, in the depths.
Your wrath has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with all Your waves
You have removed my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an object of loathing to them;
I am shut up and cannot go out” (Psalm 88:1-8, NASB).
It is during these times of overwhelming sorrow that we must remember, as David did when he wrote this sad psalm, that Jehovah is truly “the God of my salvation.” Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But in the big picture — eternity’s picture — we have already won the victory.
As we cut away the trials and cares of this world, let’s keep in mind that we serve a Savior who can still the storms of life even when we feel as if we are perishing (Luke 8:22-25).