Rabbit tracks…… Let’s follow because I want to see where he is now.

Taking a hike in my snowshoes the other day, I came across this set of tracks. Definitely fresh, and easy to see because of the fresh snow. The story was being told right there in front of me. Little bunny stopped and ate some grass sticking above the snow. Just a few feet further he made a quick right turn and was off to who knows where. I guess I’m the “who” that wants to know “where” so I follow. Rabbit Foo Foo was hopping through the forest. (Now you’re singing that old nursery rhyme too aren’t you?) This rabbit wasn’t picking anything up, he was just traveling through the snow. Occasionally, you could see where he stopped and ate. Uh oh, if you look right there you can see that he …….. ah,… well,…… when you got to go , you got to go! Right there in the pretty white snow. He went. Silly Rabbit…… (don’t say it 😉 ) ………… Trix are for kids. (I knew most of ya would say it!)

I bet I trailed the rabbit over a quarter of a mile. I saw where he came from, saw where he went (literally), and now I see where he has gone into a hole under some logs in a brush pile.

Following this rabbit was not my plan when I started on my snowshoeing hike this morning. But such an interesting story was before me in the snow, that I had to follow. I wasn’t interested in anything else going on around me. I was dead to the world because I am now totally consumed with following this story. That got me to thinkin’.

Luke 9:23 Then Jesus said to them, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

The cross back in Jesus day meant death. So when scripture says to “take up your cross”, I see it as meaning we must die to ourselves. You and I can easily turn our lives into an “all about me” plan. You know, everything we do is about me, myself, and I.

And along comes this Rabbit (I mean Jesus) and His story. We can’t keep making our own trail in the snow. We must follow Him if we want to see and hear Him. When we get so caught up in Jesus and His story for me and you, we truly become “dead” to the world.

I lost all track of time following the rabbit’s trail. There was no thoughts going through my head about me, myself, and I. It was all about the rabbit. Since I was “dead to the world” because of my focus on the trail, I must have been “carrying my cross”. And I thought it was because I was in snowshoes walking in heavy snow. ha……. Wasn’t really that heavy either.

Pray this prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to be so focused on following you, that I take up my cross “become dead to the world”, and follow wherever You go. Give me direction and spiritual “eyes” to see where Your story for my life is taking me. I want to see and hear from you. I love you Lord.

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher!