Rabbit Tales--Part 2

On Monday, I told you about acquiring Justice’s rabbits for 4-H. They were tiny little fur balls when we brought them home. Polish rabbits are small-sized; ours only made it to about 8-pounds. They have silky-soft fur, big, round, dark eyes, and tiny ears. The male, Midnight, sported pitch-black fur. His pen-mate was Clover, a chocolate color which consisted of rich brown and charcoal gray.

Midnight and Clover lived in our gardening shed all spring and summer. Justice feed them, emptied their poop pan, and worked with them to prepare them for showing. They were on a strict diet of measured rabbit chow and an occasional handful of greens or a half a baby carrot. Every so often, the kids would haul out the big dog kennel and let the rabbits enjoy an afternoon in the sun, amid the cool grass.

The rabbits were frightened at first, but after a few minutes, they’d warm up to the arrangement and hop lazily around their enclosure. But the kids could never venture very far from the cage, because, while the rabbits felt safe, the barn cats thought they looked good enough to eat. If the rabbits could have slipped through the bars, they would have been the main dish in a kitty potluck. Their boundaries gave them freedom and kept them safe from the harmful influences just waiting to pounce.

It’s like that with our kids too. We give them boundaries and in those boundaries, they have freedom. They know where the line is, and as long as they don’t cross it, they stay safe. But, like our little bunnies, there are those who are waiting and watching and seeking to harm them as soon as they get a chance. Evil people and ungodly forces are a real threat, so we stand guard. It is best if we can allow our kids the freedom to move about and wander on their own. We could hold Midnight and Clover on our laps in the backyard, but they would never experience the joy of cool green grass on their little bunny backs or relish the warm spring sunshine on their soft fur. Same for our kids; it is exposing them to the dangers around them that they learn how far to go.

We want to give our kids boundaries so they can grow and learn and explore in a setting of safety. They flourish when we give them opportunities to stretch their legs and “hop” around in environments with boundaries. We watch them and guard them for the forces that would seek to destroy. And in those times when we can’t protect them, can’t watch them, can’t possibly ensure their safety, we entrust them to the Master Bunny-Keeper. He always has it all under control.

Scene in the Barnyard, Take 2

This is a continuation, or maybe an off-shoot of last week's lesson, Take 1. To recap, on a warm, sunny April Saturday, we ended up with an assortment of volunteer firemen, a fire truck, a first responder vehicle, and at least three sheriff's cars in our barnyard.

Apparently, my hubby neglected to crank down the nozzle on an anhydrous ammonia tank while the weather was cool, and when it warmed up, the vapors expanded and leaked out. This cloud of vapor caught the attention of a passing motorist who put in a call to 911. A quick turn of the spigot was all that was required to spot the flow, but when emergency services are dispatched, apparently they can't be called back--at least that is what they told hubby when he called to tell them it wasn't necessary for them to come out.

I told you that God reminded me that there is a battle taking place around us, and our children, every day. We must protect our kids from the things they can't see--both in the physical and the spiritual realms. One of my jobs as their momma is to protect them from the evil that they don't see. You can become pretty jaded when you look around you in this culture, but you also have to remember to be smart. Get used to saying "No".

So, all of this brings me to the second lesson God reminded me of during this interesting afternoon. While we are called to protect our kids from the evil that surrounds them, mommas and daddies also have to prepare our kids to live in the midst of not-so-healthy influences.  I can only shield my kids from so much, but unless I want to join a commune or move to a third world country, it is also my job to teach my kids how to live in this tainted world. You see, I can warn my kids to stay by the house when they semi or combines pull into the drive. I don't allow them to climb on the grain bins. I refuse to let them play outside while the fumes from the chemicals hang in the air. But, I also need to prepare them for the inevitable times of emergency or unexpected situations. God tells us in His word that it is not His desire for us to hide from every potential source of temptation or trial, but to be prepared to deal with it. Jesus says in John 17:15, My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Do you see it? He says, don't remove your kids from any potential evil, but protect them from the damages that could come.

How do we leave our kids in the world but protect them from it at the same time? First of all--PRAY. Pray for their protection. Plead for them to make wise choices. Petition God for them to remember what they've been taught. And that is the second way--TEACH. If I want my kids to make wise choices and make good decisions, I've got to teach them. My kids know not to play on an ammonia wagon, but I've got to take it a step further. I need to teach them what to do if an emergency situation or an unlikely event takes place. Is a tank ever supposed to be leaking all over the barnyard? Nope. Did it happen? Yep. Where they prepared? I hope so.

We do this when we ask our kids questions like, "If you got separated from me in a store/at the fair, what would you do?" Or when we quiz, "What should you do if a stranger (or even someone you know, but you don't feel comfortable) tries to get you in their car?" Or maybe, "If someone calls and I'm not home, what should you tell them?"

We need to make sure we are also asking our kids things like, "If a group of your friends were making fun of another student, what would you do?" Or "If you and your friends were playing Truth or Dare and something went wrong on a dare, what would you do?" Or maybe, "If you are on a date with a guy and he is doing things to you or asking you to do things to him that make you uncomfortable, what would you do."

Another important aspect of teaching our kids to be safe is to teach them how to pray. They need to learn to pray for their own protection, for their own wisdom, and for themselves and the battle that rages around them every day.

Don't wait until you have a smoking anhydrous tank in your barnyard to see if your kids know how to protect themselves. Protect them when you can, and teach them how to be safe when you can't. Just like Matthew 10:16 says, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. THAT'S what I want my kids to be!

Scene in the Barnyard, Take 1

What did you do this weekend? Us? Oh, we hosted a congregation of the county's volunteer fire department and a handful of police officers in our barnyard. Yes, mix a half dozen pick-up trucks with flashing blue lights, a fire truck, a first responder vehicle, and an anhydrous tank spewing potentially deadly ammonia and you are talking good times. See, I'm not joking when I tell you it is like a zoo at my house. Or, in the case of this weekend, a haz-mat training exercise.

A light breeze blew, puffy clouds drifted across the sky, and warm sunshine drew the cats from the barn on Saturday. The kids played, finished chores, and practiced flag football. I worked around the house, trying to get ahead of the constant clutter that seems to sprout behind them whenever they are home. A knock sounded at the kitchen door and I opened it to find a strange man standing there. (He was strange in the sense that he was not known to me, not that he was odd--I didn't talk to him long enough to know that.)

He motions behind him toward the barn. "Your anhydrous tank has a leak."

I peer around his shoulder. "Oh, so it does. That's odd. It's been there for two days with no trouble."

"My wife just called 911. If the wind changes direction, you better get out of the house."

Oh, no. That's not good. "Umm...okay. Thanks. I'll call my husband."

Anhydrous ammonia can be fatal if inhaled and there have been farmers killed in our area by it. However, this situation was not really that dire. The leak was small; not a full-blown eruption like would happen in an accident or a roll-over. It could have been taken care of by my hubby without involving half the county. But I'm glad the man stopped to let me know. It might have turned out differently if it had been the kids that noticed it.

So, within about five minutes of the 911 call, vehicles lined the road in front of our house. A fire truck sat in my driveway and helmeted firemen swarmed the barnyard. I chatted with the sheriff's deputies parked in the driveway, upwind from the fumes rolling from the front of the tank. It took two volunteer firefighters in their work clothes, a few cranks bare-handed and the leak was fixed. Needless to say, the firemen who took the time to suit up were disappointed that all the action happened so fast.

I invited the officers to stay and eat something since they made the call just to be turned back without any action, but they said they'd just eaten lunch. My husband's pick-up truck carted the ammonia tankers away later that day, leaving no evidence of the ordeal except some really green grass.

A few hours later, I mentioned something to Jot and finished by saying, "...when the fire truck was here."

"What? There was a fire truck here today? When?"

All that excitement and Jot missed it. While he played a video game, an entire scene from an action adventure movie played out just outside the window. That got me to thinking about the danger that surrounds our kids daily and what my role is as their protector.

Life is difficult and there are a lot of scary things out there. It is a delicate balancing act trying to protect our kids without scary the Gee-Willackers out of them. Our kids are immersed in a culture that would steal them from us in a heartbeat, if we are not careful to protect them. From video games with suspect themes, to neighborhood bullies, to bio-terrorism, to H1N1, to cyber-predators, our kids need for us to stand between them and the world that would do them harm.

The Bible tells us a world that is unseen to our eyes exists. Wars are waged; battles are fought, all without our knowledge. Forces battle to steal, kill, and destroy our faith and our very lives. What sights we would behold if our human eyes could only see the scene playing out just above our heads! Just like Jot played comfortably in his safe home with his mama looking out for him, when we stay within the protection of God's care, battles are fought around us that we can't even fathom.

Aren't you glad you have a Protector who will keep you safe from harm too?