rabbit

I have a Thanksgiving memory from my childhood. Its stands out head and shoulders above the rest and I will never ever forget it….

I was probably 12, or so and we were spending the holiday with my dad’s family in Iowa. My mom and aunts, my mammaw and my GG had been cooking and preparing for days it seemed and now the day had arrived. The big feast was just moments away.

The table was set. Everything smelled so good… and then it happened. My GG came in, from her house across the way, with the food she had prepared. And I heard her say to my Uncle Larry, “I brought Peter with me.”

Now, my uncle had been out hunting recently. And little did we, the kids, know that he had caught a rabbit. But as the women began to set the food out, the story of the rabbit unfolded – and at the end of the tale he was laid to rest, in a casserole dish, right there in the middle of our Thanksgiving table.

I’ll give you a minute to absorb this information.

Of course, my mother encouraged my sister and I to take a spoonful of it.. to try it… we might like it. and there it sat – a helping of bunny casserole – on my plate. It seemed to be ruining all of the other wonderful, delicious food I had selected.

I sniffed it, I stared at it. But I could not bring myself to taste it. So, in case you’re wondering what rabbit tastes like – I have no helpful information coming from my own experience. However, I hear it tastes like chicken, but a bit gamey.

Life is like that Thanksgiving plate for me sometimes. So many incredible things make up what is known as my life – more than I can count, really. But there, in the middle – sitting like that lump of rabbit, I assure you there is a problem, a complicated situation, its a painful trial that I’m going through. And I would like to scrape it off of my plate into the trash so that there are only nice things. Only the tasty blessings, nothing unsavory, please…

But, this is not the plan God has for us… Trials and pain are often on the same plate, being served up along side large portions of blessing. And He asks us to be grateful, joyful and rejoice in all things.

James 1 says: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

Philippians 4 says: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

I must admit – that I think of my difficulties in the same way I did the rabbit. No thank you… Where’s the garbage can, I need to get rid of this. I want no part of it. But today, the day before Thanksgiving I realize that He is calling me to be thankful, not just for the wonderful, but for the difficult too. Even the rabbit.

Heavenly Father, Help me to find a new place of gratitude. Soften my heart to your Words – that every gift is perfect and it is from You. Forgive my ungrateful heart. Give me the grace to change and a steadfast heart to remain thankful. amen.

(originally written Thanksgiving 2010)