Today was the day that owners decided Thumper the rabbit would venture outside for the first time. Thumper has been a house rabbit since he moved to Goldthorpe and has enjoyed exploring the house. At first, he was very nervous about this, but has grown in confidence, climbing on furniture, climbing the stairs, venturing into the slippy kitchen (where there is a slippier floor covering than the carpets elsewhere) and generally enjoying his new home.
The great outdoors, however… that is another thing altogether. Thumper would climb onto the window sill and gaze out at the garden, looking longingly at the grass and dandelions outdoors, but actually venturing that far was another story. It took a harness and lead and a good deal of determination on the owners’ part to persuade Thumper that it was worth it.
And worth it it certainly was! All that food! – an all-you-could want buffet!
All of this reminded me, however, how hard it can be for us to actually venture into the unknown. All the humans knew that Thumper would love being on the grass, with a much larger area to explore and food on demand. Thumper was not at all convinced. He spent at least fifteen minutes fighting the unfamiliar harness (not understanding that it was intended to protect him and help him) and just as long sitting by the back door, listening and quivering with fear.
We can be so like that. God beckons us on into pastures new and we sit, quivering with fear, paralysed, unable to imagine life outside our comfort zone. Even if our comfort zone is far from comfortable, we can still be hesitant about new adventures. ‘Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know,‘ the proverb goes, and so often, we are terrified to explore the vast immeasurable freedom that God has provided for us in Christ. (Gal 5:1)
But God has so much more for us to explore! Whether it’s to soar on eagle’s wings or to hop happily like a rabbit in a garden, God wants us to live in the freedom He has purchased for us.
‘You break us out of our cages
Into the wide open spaces.
We are free
Free as a bird on the wind.
No prison wall can contain us;
Your beating heart makes us fearless.
We are free
Free as a bird on the wind.
Love cannot be tamed
You shattered every chain
Let our praises run wild and free;
Your lion heart is alive in me.
Let our freedom and joy begin.
With You we’re dancing upon our chains;
With You we’re soaring on eagle’s wings.
Take us beyond our horizons
Leading us into your wildness
We are free
Free as a bird on the wind
You are the greatest adventure
You are my uncharted waters
We are free
Free as a bird on the wind
You made us for so much more.
You take us to greater shores.
You raise us above the storm.
We rise on eagle’s wings, we rise on eagle’s wings.’ (‘Free As A Bird’, Rend Collective)
Don’t let fear of the unknown stop you from stepping out with God. His plans for us are to prosper us; even when we feel confused and uncertain about the direction in which He leads us, we can trust His goodness, mercy and love. Thumper loved the dandelions and grass. We can lie down in green pastures and walk by still waters (Ps 23:2); we can feast on the abundance of God’s house. (Ps 36:8)