[notice] A fortnightly column by Anna Heydenrych[/notice]The other day I arrived at work to find my colleagues huddled around a computer screen looking at a photo of a giant French lop. I am not sure what image your mind conjures up at the thought of a giant French lop, but it is in fact a ridiculous looking giant rabbit with floppy ears.
This particular lop was sprawled out on a living room couch. It looked so cute and silly and unusually large, that I found myself looking up giant french lops on google images before I had even checked my emails. As I browsed through the search results, the photos sparked a memory: a childhood story book about a rabbit with floppy ears. This rabbit wished that his ears stood up straight like all the other rabbits and he went to outrageous lengths to try and force his ears into an upright position. Another google search later and I had found the name of the book and confirmed its existence: Leo the Lop, apparently a popular children’s book published in the 80s. You may even remember it too.
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As a child I greatly enjoyed the tale of Leo the lop. Leo eventually learned to accept himself for who he was and even to love himself for his unique attributes. As I grew older however, I must have forgotten all about the lesson to be learned from Leo. I recall times in my life when I have looked at the other bunnies around me and wished my ears stood up straight like theirs. Leo the lop tried to reshape himself into what he thought he should be by hanging upside down in a tree with stones tied to his ears. I must admit that I have done the same. Rather than focusing on developing the gifts that God has given me, there have been times when I have tried to be more like the other bunnies. What a waste of time and how silly to be found hanging upside down in a tree when you could be discovering God’s unique and wonderful plans for your own life!
Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else — Galatians 6:4, NIV.
Thanks, Anna.
We are one of a kind, uniquely grouped together.
Thanks for reminding me about Leo the Lop- and explaining what a lop is. Read the book 1,000 times and never even questioned why it was called Leo the Lop. Great book and great lesson.