Crushed, but not broken

Anyone who really knows me (the few there are), knows that I love children's literature. One thing I love about really good, usually older, children's books is the parallels that God reveals about Himself to me through these timeless treasures. The more I study God's Word and commmune with His heart, the more I see these. Here is my most recent discovery:

The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams is a great example. Hebrews 5:8 says "Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered." As I pondered this truth, and the truth that our own suffering is for our good and His glory, I was a little confused. Why do we have to suffer and what does that really mean? Then I read this book, and the Spirit spoke clarification to my heart.

In this book, a young boy receives a stuffed rabbit for Christmas. The rabbit is beautiful and nice, however, not played with at first. Then, as the boy loves the rabbit, it becomes shabby and suffers because of its misshapen body and loss of "fur". The more the boy loves the rabbit, the more it becomes "real", but the more it seems to suffer physically - no more whiskers, pink lining turned gray, the nose kissed off. But, through all this, it becomes "real".

How that is like us! Jesus loves us so much that He loves all those fake things off of us, even when it hurts, so that in the end, we can be real and with Him.

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2012 at 9:35 AM

    Ahh, suffering. How we want to be real, but it is hard to remember during times of suffering. These scriptures came to mind:
    Romans 5:1-5 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."
    Something to remember during the painful removal of our "fur".

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