‘Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God’

“Nursery magic is often confusing; it’s not a miracle of our choosing,” sings the Skin Horse to the Velveteen Rabbit in Valley Performing Arts’ newest musical.

What a statement.

I wonder what miracles the toy rabbit would have chosen for himself? Would he rather have remained in the cupboard, plush and gorgeous instead of the happy, painful journey that Love took him on? What miracles would we choose?

I know what I would choose: health, money, and safety. In fact, I’d like to see this for everyone, but the world doesn’t work that way because of original sin (totally unfair, say my children, Adam and Eve were stupid. We’re working on their catechism.).

We who are formed of dust and God’s breath are passing through this creation for the next.

Will we embrace the miracles that visit us here?

Will we exclaim with the Velveteen Rabbit when Love has wrought its wonders, “I’m shabby; isn’t it wonderful?” Because “it doesn’t often happen to toys that break easily or have sharp edges or have to be carefully kept,” I wonder if I can live less carefully; if I can file down some of my sharp edges; if I can dispel the discomfiture with my pink satin being kissed away or my stuffing becoming lumpy. I want to treasure my love miracles, even if they are not of my choosing. That is the story of the Velveteen Rabbit and it can be our story as well.

“Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God. But only he who sees takes off his shoes. The rest sit ‘round and pluck blackberries, and daub their natural faces unawares,” Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote.

God’s fire is all around us; they are miracles of love. But as the Skin Horse sings, sometimes this magic can get confusing. The Velveteen Rabbit did not understand Real but he knew from listening to the older, wiser Skin Horse that it was something worthwhile.

“When you are real, you don’t mind being hurt,” explained Skin Horse.

“Nursery magic is awfully confusing; to tell you the truth, I’d much rather be snoozing,” Rabbit sings back.

Some famous Biblical miracles had some confused characters as well. Sarah laughed when the angel told her about a miracle child (Genesis 18:10-15). Moses argued when God told him about Israel’s miraculous deliverance (Exodus 4:10-17). Mary questioned Gabriel when he told her of the miraculous conception (Luke 1:29-34). Jesus’ own disciples were clueless about the miracle kingdom (Mark 10:35-45).

The constant, though, is God and His plan of redemptive love. Like Peter, we can throw up our hands in our confusion and declare, “Where else can we go, you have the words of eternal life (John 6:68).”

I may be confused; I may want different miracles; but I will be thankful for shabbiness and lumps of love while keeping an eye out for heavenly fire on earth. And there’s help. Our Lord loves and understands and there are thousands of saints praying for us; we can cast aside the sin that hinders because we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses to the Truth. We can look to Jesus’ love and not grow weary or lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Probably the best part of the story of the Velveteen Rabbit is when the Nursery Magic Fairy, present throughout the tale, takes the exhausted toy and transforms him completely. Well, almost completely. He’s still a rabbit. He was a rabbit just right for the boy and becomes a more perfect rabbit, a Real Rabbit.

We will also be transformed someday to our real, perfect selves (So God’s like the Nursery Magic Fairy, said one of my children. We’re getting to that in the catechism.). Love does that. It is good to live, receive, rejoice, and often weep through a life full of love.

“I have a heart; it’s filled with love. I can feel a sudden joy. I’ve been remade today! I’m real!”

The miracle (and the confusion) of love makes this world better and moves us gently to the next.

We are about to enter Advent, the four-week liturgical season preparing for the feast of Christmas. Derived from a Latin word for “coming,” our Mass Scripture readings remind us of both the Incarnation of our Emmanuel, which is the perfect love miracle, and another anticipated coming. Preparation of our homes, yes, but more importantly our hearts and minds. This takes purposeful planning.

Consider setting aside some dollars this Advent to see The Velveteen Rabbit. Perhaps buy a ticket for someone else to share in the joy. It’s downright fun, full of laughter and tears. Let’s get out of the toy cupboard and not be afraid of living full of love. It will certainly get confusing and we will surely get shabby but life is a miracle. Be real!

Allison Howell and her family are longtime residents of the Valley. They are Catholic converts and keep a hobby farm full of animals and children.

Opinions expressed on the Faith page are the author’s and are not necessarily those of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, its staff or its parent company, Wick Communications Co. To submit a column or other news for the Faith page, send email to news@frontiersman.com, or call 352-2250.