Have you ever felt like you were living a children’s cartoon or story book? Lately, Elmer Fudd and Mr. McGregor have been in my thoughts.

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him: male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the bests of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground – everything that has the breath of life in it – I give every green plant for food.” And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning – the sixth day.”” (Genesis 1:26-30)

So, we were created to rule over the other creatures. See, God proves it above. The problem is, the rabbits in our garden have somehow forgotten that! In recent weeks, I have felt like we were living out “The Tale of Peter Rabbit” and that we were Mr. McGregor. Our garden is really beautiful, thanks to the efforts of my husband and the blessings of God. However, the rabbits have eaten as much as we have so far! I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I have seen the rabbits simply walk down between the rows eating first from one row to their side and then another. So frustrating! They ended up eating ALL of the tops of the radishes. Finally, they had to be dug up because there
was nothing green on top. Once the radishes were gone, they started on the green bean leaves.

These rabbits are living large and their bellies show it. Part of the increased rabbit problem this year is that the field behind our house was sold to a developer. Thus, no beautiful wheat blowing in the wind, no corn or bean rows, just waist high weeds. Lots of room for rabbits to live and multiply. Who knows what else is living back there! Yesterday I saw a rabbit just on the other side of the garden so I went outside and yelled and clapped my hands to run him off. He just looked at me. I seriously had to get within 8 feet of him, still clapping and yelling, before he finally hopped off down the back of the garden and towards the front yard. He was not one bit afraid of me. I know I must have looked a sight!

This scripture came to mind as I was thinking about our garden woes. “…Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:17-19)

Sin does have its consequences. 

Well, in our “Tale of Peter Rabbit”, we tried something new. We put moth balls down between the rows. I think it is helping. I have only seen one rabbit and he
was not eating bean leaves. Chalk one up for Mr. McGregor.

We might get beans to can after all.