Hundreds of Miles

 The cute little bunny had no idea what it was in for when it squeezed under our fence and into our backyard. The second our boys saw it, they were determined to feed it. They’ve wanted a pet so badly, but their mom is too stubborn for that so they were willing to just settle for a bunny eating out of their hands. With four kids six and under, I can confidently say that a pet is not on our radar. Maybe when I’ve gone an entire year without cleaning up poop or when all my kids are able to feed themselves I’ll consider it...although let’s be honest, it’s still not likely. Since the boys haven’t been able to break me down they have tried to take matters into their own hands...many times. So far I’ve been able to convince them that the bugs they find will fare better outside, ducks would rather be with other ducks and not with little boys that jump on a trampoline with them, that the puppies running past the house are better off with the mommy and daddy they already have and thankfully that one goldfish we had for eight hours kinda took care of matters himself when we found him floating. No matter what I said though, I couldn’t convince them that we didn't need a bunny. Every time he scampered into our yard they went nuts. They’d run in the house, whip open the fridge, and sprint back outside with an entire bag of baby carrots. Then they’d get as close as they could to the bunny and throw carrots at it one at a time until the poor little guy got the hint that they weren’t going away and would hop off to the next {safer} yard. They talked about him all the time. They’d come up with other ideas of what he might like to eat, build traps to snag him, and even sit motionless in the yard hoping he’d come back if they could prove they weren’t scary...something I never thought possible. They couldn’t think of anything better than having him eat right out of their hands. They were desperate to convince him they were nice and that he should let them feed him.

Fast forward a couple months and we’re out of the house and traveling in an rv doing ministry many states away from home. We were at a campground pretty much in the middle of nowhere on a day off and were just enjoying family time. I was inside and Brandon had run to the office with the boys. He came back in alone a few minutes later and said…”You’ve gotta see this!” So I followed him out and what did I see but two little boys sitting at a picnic table with bunnies in front of them eating out of their hands! This was truly a dream come true for them. Their excitement was off the charts and I was pretty shocked myself...all of their hoping, planning, attempted trapping, and here they were finally feeding rabbits. The best part was, they didn’t have to chase it down or trick it to get him to come eat from their hands. They didn’t have to throw food at him or sit still in hopes he’d get close...the rabbit came to them. That night I was still thinking about it and so happy the boys were able to do something they’d been hoping for for so long...random as it was. I mentioned to my husband...Look how far God took them to make that little dream come true. Hundreds of miles away from home and a dream mostly forgotten is just dropped into their laps.

It struck me how often my own life is probably like that. I don’t think I am the most patient person when it comes to something that I want. If I have my mind set on something I’ll probably do whatever is necessary to make it take place. Like the boys throwing carrots at a rabbit, I am willing to throw logic to

 the wind and chase down what I want with everything I have. When it slips past me and under the “fence”, I’m disappointed, frustrated, and the wheels start turning to determine what it is I have to do to make it work next time. I try and force God’s hand to do what I want it to. To take the dreams...the ones He’s put on my heart...and make them happen the way I think they should. Often in life when I’ve felt God’s nudging to do one thing or another and I know the desires of my heart are from Him I expect them now. To happen my way. And when they don’t, or when I have to wait, I get frustrated and try to take matters into my own hands. I start to worry, thinking I’m going to miss it. That what I’m dreaming of or feel called to do will never come to pass. It’s when I step back and take a breath, I see how flawed my method is. I see the consequences of pushing when I’m supposed to be still. And now I am seeing how He is making my dreams come true. The husband I prayed for. The family I prayed for. The life of ministry I prayed for. I can see how badly it could have turned out if He had let me do things my way. I see how many hundreds of miles He’s taken me from the beginning of a dream to the fulfillment of it.

And even though it’s not easy, I’m letting Him direct me however many miles it takes to fulfill the rest. I still try to take things into my own hands sometimes. I still make things messy if I trust myself to make them happen, but I’m learning. And I know the dreams He’s given me will come to pass somewhere along the road...likely in ways completely unexpected. But as long as He’s with me...the miles pass by quite quickly.