The Parable of the Stupid Rabbit

We live on an acre of land. We have about a tenth of our yard fenced off for our dog, when she wants to go outside. The white picket fence has a small gap on the bottom—not big enough for our big dog to get out, yet enough space for rabbits to squeeze in. Now, why any rabbit would choose to squeeze into a dog’s turf is beyond me. Why wouldn’t they use their instincts and stay outside the fence where they are safer? As if this weren’t dumb enough, one of the rabbits decided to have her babies inside the dog’s territory! We noticed the dog digging and then running around with something in her mouth. We made her drop it and brought her back in the house. Then my husband dug up the nest and all the baby rabbits and moved the nest to the back of the acre as far away from the dog as possible. We aren’t sure if they will survive or if their mom will ever find them.  Yet, my husband did what he could to save them and now we have to let nature take its course.

Why wouldn’t this mother rabbit use the sense the good Lord gave her?! Surely, her instincts picked up the scent of dog all over the fenced yard. She ignored the warning signs and put her babies in danger. Even though others tried to save her litter, her stupidity might have cost them their lives.

How often do we act like this stupid rabbit by ignoring our instincts and putting our families in danger? Even though God may save us from some of the consequences of our choices, occasionally he allows nature to take its course.

God has given us an internal conscience that alerts us to sin. Our gut instincts tell us when something is off--when we are being pulled into evil. When we choose to ignore the warning signs—hoping things will just work out somehow,—we put ourselves and our families in peril.

Follow your instincts. Don’t get comfortable in a predator’s territory. Use the sense the good Lord gave you!