I wanted to share something I feel is very special about my rabbitry. It is not how it is constructed or how many of my rabbits are Grand Champions. Like most others, my rabbitry has suffered unexpected losses; it gets messy in between cleanings; and there have been disappointing breeding outcomes—although I still learned something important from them. There are days when I feel it is too cold, too wet, and too hot or that I feel too tired, achy, or truly in pain to want to go out to feed, water, clean, carry 40 to 50 pounds bags of feed, move hay bales, carry water in gallon jugs, or painstakingly measure out supplements. I have nursed rabbits that would have surely died had I not intervened and was cautiously thankful as I watched some improve, and I have cried with the few dying in my lap as I realized they were too far gone to be saved.
Being a rabbit keeper is a life of love, tragedy, births, deaths, enjoyment, sorrow, and lots of soil-enriching bunny berries (poop)—and in my case, a life of faith. Once while talking with my Lord, He told me He was going to bless me with rabbits. He had to tell me this several times because I kind of blew it off thinking that I was hopeful thinking and making that up in my mind, but He would not let that rest and I kept hearing this for weeks. So one time, after I heard Him say it again, I asked why He would do that? I mean, we are just talking about rabbits and then He told me that He was blessing me with rabbits because I love them and He loves me and He loves what I love. It still makes me cry to think of that moment, that feeling of being so loved. Many of my rabbits have been given names to honor His blessing, His gift, to me.
I was not promised it would be easy or without hardships to have my rabbitry. I believe God had blessed me with imperfect rabbits that produced closer to perfection together, that unlikely combination I could not have dreamed up that made some of my rabbits impress judges. I pray or just talk with God in my rabbitry often, about every time I am in there for most of the time I am in there, actually. Not just about my rabbits, but about...well, everything. I have even heard angels singing in my rabbitry—yes, I am serious!
I had an amazing and very hard year last year. Then my Lord told me that this sweepstakes year was going to be a year in that I would not do so well competitively, even just in sweepstakes points. I knew this in advance but not the why and the how. Since then I have been within two quarantine zones where I could not show and when I could most all my rabbits were out of coat. This was not meant to be my year but instead, God was blessing others and that is not a bad thing at all. Even so, I have still been given really amazing promises that have not yet happened. I have hope in those promises because I have faith in Him and He shows His love for me through my rabbitry—not just there but certainly there as well.
I was not promised it would be easy or without hardships to have my rabbitry. I believe God had blessed me with imperfect rabbits that produced closer to perfection together, that unlikely combination I could not have dreamed up that made some of my rabbits impress judges. I pray or just talk with God in my rabbitry often, about every time I am in there for most of the time I am in there, actually. Not just about my rabbits, but about...well, everything. I have even heard angels singing in my rabbitry—yes, I am serious!
I had an amazing and very hard year last year. Then my Lord told me that this sweepstakes year was going to be a year in that I would not do so well competitively, even just in sweepstakes points. I knew this in advance but not the why and the how. Since then I have been within two quarantine zones where I could not show and when I could most all my rabbits were out of coat. This was not meant to be my year but instead, God was blessing others and that is not a bad thing at all. Even so, I have still been given really amazing promises that have not yet happened. I have hope in those promises because I have faith in Him and He shows His love for me through my rabbitry—not just there but certainly there as well.
