Alone at work, years ago, as I sat outside on my lunch break, I was despondent. I don’t remember why, but more than likely it had something to do with the disintegration of my first marriage.
As I sat there, lamenting and pouring out my heart to God, I don’t remember if I asked for a sign. I do know I was desperate for answers.
As I prayed, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. We had been warned around that time that coyotes were in the area and not to approach them (which I ended up doing, but that is another story).
A cottontail bunny (I never call rabbits rabbits) approached me. I have always loved bunnies and had a pet named Hollywood when I was a teenager. This one approached and stayed as tears ran down my cheeks. I definitely took the bunny’s appearance as a sign from God, telling me everything would be okay and that He cared about me and the details of my life.
Ever since, God’s creation, namely animals, and bunnies specifically, has spoken to me in profound ways, often when I have needed it the most, just like I needed it that day.
Whenever I see a bunny, I gasp, which terrifies whoever happens to be with me. Often, it takes place in the car when I am not driving. I realize it’s not a wise thing to do, but I can’t help it. I see it as a gift from God, reassuring me all will be well.
You can imagine my excitement when bunnies started to show up in our yard weeks ago. My husband, Ric, discovered that at least one, probably two, was living under the deck in our backyard. After recently watching the movie “Peter Rabbit” with my granddaughter, Charlotte, and falling in love with it, I decided to name the bunny Mopsy (after a female bunny in the movie).
Having bunnies live in my yard is a profoundly personal thing, something that many in my life poo-poo because they don’t see or understand the significance. And that’s okay because God knows and so do I.
Maybe it’s better that this is something that is just between us, that no one “gets.”
God knows me. He is intimately involved in my life. In fact, just this morning I was outside, enjoying my quiet time with the Lord, when I wondered if the bunnies had left. It had been a few days since I had seen them. As I tend to do, I thought the worst, that they were gone forever. When Ric returned from working out, I conveyed my thoughts about the bunnies to him. Right after the words came out of my mouth, Ric told me to turn around. Slowly, I did, and I saw Mopsy make her way to the opposite corner of the yard. She had been under the deck the entire time I had been outside!
All I could do was praise God as I was reminded, once again, that He loves me and He is in the details.