what i heard in worship today

"Once there was a little bunny who wanted to run away.
So he said to his mother, “I am running away.”

“If you run away,” said his mother,
“I will run after you.
For you are my little bunny.”
“If you run after me,” said the little bunny,
“I will become a fish in a trout stream and I will swim away from you.”
“If you become a fish in a trout stream,” said his mother,
“I will become a fisherman and I will fish for you.”

“If you become a fisherman,” said the little bunny,
“I will become a rock on the mountain, high above you.”
“If you become a rock on the mountain high above me,”
said his mother, “I will become a mountain climber,
and I will climb to where you are.”

“If you become a mountain climber,”said the little bunny,
“I will be a crocus in a hidden garden.”
“If you become a crocus in a hidden garden,”said his mother,
“I will be a gardener. And I will find you.”

“If you are a gardener and find me,” said the little bunny,
“I will be a bird and fly away from you.”
“If you become a bird and fly away from me,” said his mother,
“I will be a tree that you come home to.”

“If you become a tree,” said the little bunny,
“I will become a little sailboat, and I will sail away from you.”
“If you become a sailboat and sail away from me,”said his mother,
“I will become the wind and blow you where I want you to go.”

“If you become the wind and blow me,” said the little bunny,
“I will join a circus and fly away on a flying trapeze.”
“If you go flying on a flying trapeze,” said his mother,
“I will be a tightrope walker,and I will walk across the air to you.”

“If you become a tightrope walker and walk across the air,” said the bunny,
“I will become a little boy and run into a house.”
“If you become a little boy and run into a house,”said the mother bunny,
“I will become your mother and catch you in my arms and hug you.”

“Shucks,” said the bunny,
“I might just as well stay where I am and be your little bunny.”
And so he did.
“Have a carrot,” said the mother bunny."



in my books that is the shepherd finding the lost sheep and one more example that God is love.

so ... if you think of me

i've noticed this little phrase in people's speech of late as they share their need and they're trying to ask people to pray for them. i've noticed it in my seed group meetings and i noticed it in our sharing and learning meeting at my church community this week. i think the intent is for people to make themselves seem unimportant, like we (or I) don't spend any time thinking about the other in my daily travels.

the phrase irks me.

shouldn't the phrase be "so ... when you think of me"? i'm not the most relational and thoughtful person in this world but even i do actually think of you. if you're in my circle, in my sphere of influence, if you're important to me and i to you, then i do actually think of you. i chuckle to myself because this actually says that on some level i believe that some expectation should be placed on me. i suppose that on some level i believe that if you're important to me that you should expect that i think of you.

i do think of you. i also spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about me and my situation but that just points to the selfish motives that live inside this chest.

i'm going to make a special effort to try and say "so ... WHEN you think of me". it's ok to open up a little, to express need and to expect that you're heard and thought of as life commences.

i think of you.