The Runaway Bunny

We went to the neatest local bookstore this evening. While I was browsing the children's area (because that's the only reading I do these days), I started thinking about one of the books we have on our shelf at home. It's called The Runaway Bunny. I've only read this book to my little guy a couple of times, because I didn't really like it's message. It begins:

Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away.
So he said to his mother, "I am running away."
"If you run away," said his mother, "I will run after you.
For you are my little bunny."

Then the story proceeds with the bunny thinking through all the places he would run away to, and his mother responding with how she would chase after him. Until it ends with:

"Shucks," said the bunny, "I might just as well
stay where I am and be your little bunny."

For 16 months (since my precious son was born), my thought on this book was that it planted the thought that when we're unhappy we can just run away. And although the bunny abandoned the thought at the end, I didn't like how he didn't actually have a change of heart, but rather conceded in defeat.

I still don't like how it ends, but as I stood there in the bookstore thinking about it, I realized it is actually a really neat picture of our relationship with our Heavenly Father. How many times have we tried to run away. How many times have we tried to be something we are not, to hide from what we really are. How many times have we thought there was something better out there. But every time, there was our Father, chasing after us. Giving us unconditional love. Ignoring our rejections and always opening the door for us to come back.

What a gift. As Christmas approaches, I pray we will all reflect on the true meaning of the holiday. Our Father loves us so much that he sent his only son to die for our sins, so we don't have to live apart from Him. I don't know where you are right now. I don't know if you are running, or hiding, or living in complacency. But know that our Father is chasing after you. His door is always open (Matthew 7:8). He longs for us to turn back to Him. Don't wait another moment. Live in His grace.