I built boxes.
I filled them with soil.
I fenced them in.
I made a path of stone.
I walked it planting seeds.
I pressed them, patted them, prayed over them.
God gave rain and sun.
I pulled the weeds.
I pulled the weeds.
I pulled the weeds.
Then.
Small tufts of green broke through the soil.
They grew.
Into spinach, broccoli, beets, carrots…
And grew.
And grew.
Until the bunnies ate every &$#% one of them.
What’s the lesson in all this? Your interpretation please.
ET @ Titus2:3-5 says:
Build a better fence? ๐
Shaun Groves says:
Ah, boundary issues.
Eric says:
Yeah, Townsend and Cloud’s Boundaries book should be required reading for all tiny furry leafy green eaters.
dubdynomite says:
Maybe the bunnies needed the food more than you did……
Shaun Groves says:
Hmmm, “I will bless you…be a blessing to all nations.” Profound.
Thomas says:
That if you put chemicals all over your lawn to kill the weeds that rabbits eat then they will come to your organically grown food and eat them for dinner. Or, maybe just build a better fence.
Shaun Groves says:
Blowback.
So true.
John says:
Hire Elmer Fudd to chase them away?
Anna (@ampersand86) says:
Whole Foods is three blocks away.
Shaun Groves says:
Uhhh, no, “Whole Paycheck” is NOT three blocks away.
But if you mean that I’m not to try to produce my own fruit but go to the Source of all fruit then, yes, I receive that word ; )
Kelli says:
One interpretation I might hear at my church or from a few fellow seminarians: You sinned gravely, and thus God sent the bunnies to punish you by eating your future dinner.
My interpretation: Rabbits will always act like rabbits. You have to outsmart them [see: Wallace and Grommit and the Curse of the Were-Rabbit].
Shaun Groves says:
He gives and takes away…or ALLOWS the enemy to take away…or, geez, sovereignty is hard.
; )
pete wilson says:
I knew I would SMOKE you this year!
Lisa Smith @stretchmarkmama says:
Shaun–Check Pete’s house for pet bunnies. I got a hunch.
Shaun Groves says:
On it.
cara says:
That sometimes all our best efforts are in vain; easily destroyed by things that appear cute and cuddly but that are truly menaces obliterating things that are life-giving?
Or, you need a terrier?
Michelle P. says:
Perhaps a “dead cat” is NOT always best. You probably need a few live ones to chase away your bunnies. ๐
Megan (Best of Fates) says:
There are clearly two options.
Option #1: You have, throughout your life, done harm to rabbits. Through eating their kin, wearing their fur, or possibly voting against them in a woodland creatures meeting. God has seen your unfair treatment and is attempting to even the scales.
Option #2: Rabbits are evil spawns of the devil, and are making their first, low-key attack in preparation of a terrible war to come.
Shaun Groves says:
1. Ironic use of “reap what you sow” theology.
2. Surely there’s a bunny somewhere in Revelation.
Jennifer R. says:
Clearly the bunnies sinned against you by stealing your food. This is an opportunity for you to practice forgiveness to said bunnies and return a blessing to them. I suggest leaving a trail of fresh veggies for them, leading to your neighbor’s yard so that your neighbor can have an opportunity for spiritual growth. ๐
Cynthia says:
Bunnies retaliate when they sprout third nipples, or leave the growth and harvest in the hands of someone else.
Liz Reeves says:
Perhaps it’s a sign from God that you should not choose a vegetarian lifestyle?
Perhaps you need a large dog in the backyard to run off the bunnies?
Perhaps rabbit stew should be on the menu?
CardsFan says:
Simple lesson – man cannot live by veggies alone! Catch that rabbit, grow the veggies, and make a quality stew!!
JavaJoy's says:
I’ve had indoor/outdoor cats for the past 8 years and I practically bragged about my bunny-free yard. Last summer, I was cat-less for the first time and I lost my war against the bunnies. Since replacing my cat was not an option at the time, I walked around the gardens every day complaining to God. He told me to put him first, before my love of gardening. Perhaps I learned the lesson because there are no bunnies in my yard this year and there is an eagle patrolling the neighborhood ๐
Casey says:
As Christians, we can be fully committed to God and do all that He asks (the preparation). Next, God may ask us to put seemingly obscene amounts of time into a project (the weeding). Lastly, He asks us to nurture the garden that He has entrusted to us (watching the veggies grow). However, no matter how much time we spent following God, if pride (those darn bunnies) breaks in, it can, on the surface, ruin the garden. But through God, He can use any situation to His glory, and the lesson may be to build a stronger spiritual fence.
Sherry says:
Psalm 10:17
You hare, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry…
JavaJoy's husband says:
The lesson: Be fruitful and multiply (not the bunnies, YOU) fill the earth and subdue it.
Translation: Buy a gun, and “kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit!” -E. Fudd
then enjoy organic produce. C’mon Shaun. God TELLS us what to do.
But I can’t find the passage about allowing third nipples…it eludes me every time. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Yeah, maybe that.
Dawn~Canada says:
The lesson is simply this (and it doesn’t even involve haing to buy a gun): you can enjoy the Lords boundy of both veggies and bunnies by snaring those lil’ suckers just before they get to the organic greens. Apparently they taste like chicken and I’m sure the kids will love the fur for, maybe crafts or something? Lucky (heh,heh) rabits foot key chains? If you’re not up on the snare idea you could get a few live traps from the animal humane people then sell the critters at farmers market as edible pets. See, you just have to look for the Lords blessing amid the storm.
shayne Welch says:
I heard that back during the dust storms of the thirties there was a plague of jack-rabbits.
Your bunnies may be a sign.
Yael says:
No more twitter? Just got account and wanted to send you this: http://tinyurl.com/y9w6bwc
juat the best….considering your bunny problem ๐
Rebecca says:
We had a bunny problem until we discovered their source…mama bunny lived behind neighbors shed by our fence. We piled dirt up against the fence and no more bunnies. Of course our cats killed six of them first, which was a bit grievous, and we now have a bunny grave-site as well.
Arica says:
I think we are all just trying to survive and sometimes we take from others without understanding the hard work they have put into their gardens.
Shaun Groves says:
I like your interpretation, Arica. In it I’m just an innocent bystander and the rabbits are inconsiderate. I like that. Instead of me being the one with “boundary issues.”
; )
Dave says:
It’s time to get a cat or a dog! Also one thing you might try is using bloodmeal as a soil additive. Sprinkle a little around the outside of your gardening area. Rabbits don’t like the smell because to them it means danger. You would have to reapply after rains.
jen says:
You have homeschooled kids; surely they could come up with a solution for your bunny issues. Call it science or life skilz or something like that.