A Matter of Faith

We started our weekend off kind of sadly. Sweetheart and I went out Saturday to move the bunnies to the porch (it's too hot now for them to stay in their house all day) and we found Snuggles dead. I was so glad I was with Sweetheart when she made this discovery. It was very shocking as the bunnies are only 2 years old. She immediately burst out crying and I ran to get S. He confirmed what we already knew. Little Bit cried some too but she saved most of her tears for bedtime.

This is the trouble with pets. They break your heart. Or your children's hearts anyway. I felt so badly for them. What really got me were the questions.

Sweetheart said, "Mom--you know it says 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you', right? Well, we (did something nice for someone else that morning) and then Snuggles died!"

I assured her one had nothing to do with the other. God did not "do" this to her. She said she knew that. I told her that the Bible says God knows when even a little bird falls from the sky. He notices and loves even a little creature like that. Nothing escapes Him. And that God was probably sad because she was sad. But, our creation is broken and until the Lord comes back, this is how it will be. That is why we are eagerly waiting Christ's return when everything will be back to how God intended it to work in the first place before Adam and Eve sinned.

Little Bit asked if God was mad that Adam and Eve sinned. She said she was mad they did. I reminded her that we have all sinned and Jesus died on the cross for ALL of us.

Good grief this is deep stuff from a dead rabbit!

Later that day we buried him and the girls painted rocks to put on the grave. (Sweetheart remembered seeing Connie's post and that gave them the rock idea.)

I thought we were all doing OK until Little Bit got out of bed crying and came to lay on the couch with me. "Why did Snuggles have to die? I liked him. I wanted to still have him longer." Oh my heart. Then she hugged me yesterday and said, "I love you Mom. I'm glad I have you." and then...."I'm glad you didn't die." Ah...she is struggling a bit with it all.

I found the verse I was telling them about earlier that day and a hymn to go along with it. They really liked it. Sweetheart said, after I sang the song to them, "that's really good."

There really isn't anything more comforting, to know that even though something terrible has happened, that we are loved by God.

Matthew 10:29-31

 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.  And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Part of the hymn: 

God sees the little sparrow fall,

It meets His tender view;

 If God so loves the little birds,

 I know He loves me, too. 

He loves me, too, He loves me, too,

I know He loves me too;

Because He loves the little things,

I know He loves me, too.