Morning Devotional
December  13, 2005
"A Lesson From the Rabbits"         
    by Don Emmitte

Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful. (Romans 12:9-12 NLT).

 

Scientists were studying the impact of a high-cholesterol diet on heart disease. To measure this effect, they fed a group of genetically similar rabbits the same high-cholesterol diet. To their amazement, half the rabbits developed heart troubles, while the others were normal, with no noticeable heart disease.

 

This outcome was not explainable, so they bought new rabbits and repeated the study. At the end of two weeks, they obtained the same results. Something was wrong with the research design, but they could not determine the unaccountable variable.

 

Eventually, they discovered that during the evening the assistant who fed and cared for the rabbits took the rabbits out of their cages and cuddled them and petted them while she changed their bedding and food. However, because she was short, she could not reach the rabbits on the top shelf, so they were simply fed and changed without being picked up. Sure enough, after two weeks, the rabbits on the top row all had heart disease, while the rabbits on the bottom row were healthy. The environment and diet were exactly the same. The only variable was expressed love through touching.

 

I'm not suggesting that we ignore a healthy diet. Not at all! But every one of us also needs a healthy diet of love and affection if we are to be and stay healthy. Perhaps the most difficult part of the Christmas holidays is the lack of true love and affection. I know that it is easy to imagine that we see more love at this time of the year than any other. After all, don’t we see more “giving” at this time of year than any other? And, don’t we see more families getting together now than at any other time? Perhaps there is some truth to that, but the real key is in the daily interaction that we give and receive throughout the year.

 

Giving physical gifts is wonderful. However, the greatest gift anyone could give or receive is the gift of your presence. Your kind words and gentle expressions of love and affirmation are essential ingredients to the well being of those you have contact with, especially your family. Commit yourself to giving that gift this year!