Velveteen Rabbit

The children's story about a little rabbit who, through a boys love, becomes real, is a modern parable to me. I don't know if the writer was a believer, but the story is full of the gospel. I don't know how it came about, but the Lord used this humble little story ( among many other things) to bring some clarity during some time of uncertainty and disillusionment last Fall.
This story came to mind as I have been reading several Nouwen books along with Clowning in Rome, I like to read Nouwen in order to interpret Nouwen.

In one of his books ( a collection of his writing), he talks about the "Disicpline of Becoming." He says...." It is true that we are the beloved but we also have to become the beloved....we are children of God, but we must also become the children of God....We are brothers and sisters, but we must become brothers and sisters. He goes on to explain that the way this is accomplished is by letting that truth become en-fleshed in everything we say, think, and do.
My favorite part is when he says..." It entails a long and painful process of appropriation or, better, incarnation. As long as being the 'beloved' is little more than a beautiful thought or a lofty idea that hangs above my life to keep me from being depressed, nothing really changes. What is required is to BECOME the beloved in the common places of my daily existence and, bit by bit, to close the gap that exists between what I know myself to be and the countless specific realities of everyday life. Becoming the beloved is pulling the truth revealed to me from above down into the ordinariness of what I am, in fact, thinking of, talking about, and doing from hour to hour."--------Life of the Beloved.

For me this quote is the essence of that sweet little story of a rabbit who begins a journey of joy, pain, uncertainty, despair and finally becomes real as a result of spending time with someone who loved him.

May you be gentle with yourself and others as they are in the process of becoming "Real." And never settle for anything else but the path of the love of Our Father's little boy to accomplish it. If you have never had the pleasure of reading this childhood classic I have provided the link so you can enjoy it.

The Velveteen Rabbit