Adopting Bunnies.
It’s not the first time it’s happened, but this time, saying “no” wasn’t as easy. Huge dark eyes blinked up at me, one look derailed all rational resistance. “Take her home for your children” urged my friend. “Perhaps I should” was my first thought, followed sharply by “how can you think like that?”
I’ve turned down adopting a rabbit before, but a baby rabbit, this baby rabbit, just a bit bigger than my hand, put a whole new spin on things. We found her in the Church grounds, and within minutes, everyone in the office was scrambling to provide water, food and whatever else to make her comfortable and secure.
I was still arguing with myself. “Gus the cat is going to eat her and leave the kids distraught”, “it’s going to escape” and “it will destroy our garden”, but just when I had myself dissuaded, I looked at her eyes and that little twitching nose, and had to start all over again.
After a few calls to possible foster-owners, we took a trip to the pet shop to buy a bag of gourmet bunny food. The shop offered to take her, but after we discovered some freshly clotted wounds under her fur, that wasn’t an option. More people got involved, texts and calls were flying and finally late in the afternoon, a couple told us about an animal rescue facility and provided a cash donation. I got there just in time to catch the vet who only visits the facility once a month.
The rabbit’s wounds matched owl claws. The vet (who has a particular fondness for bunnies) surmised that she had struggled free from an owl’s grip and had fallen, quite miraculously, into the Church garden where she managed to hide away until we found her. Having fallen for the rabbit, the vet not only treated her, but insisted on adopting her and naming her “Manna”.
Why did a bunch of people go to such lengths to save one insignificant little bunny - from those who found her, fed her, donated money and got her to the vet, to the vet who treated her free-of-charge and adopted her. Why does Manna’s story so warm and encourage us? Perhaps we love a rescue. Perhaps somewhere deep down it resonates with our soul.
Think about the lengths that God went to, in becoming human in the person of Jesus, and giving His life to rescue even the most insignificant of us, so that He could adopt us as His own. There’s a parallel. I wonder if that’s why we’re so desperate to extend the same kind of love, even if it’s to a bunny?
"Bunnies" by Andy Atzert is licensed under CC BY 2.0