"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Col 3:2)

The rectangular cement block building originally housed pigs before our family bought the property. Then my father raised chickens on one side and used the other side for storage. Eventually us kids kept our pet rabbits there.When I grew up and moved my family next door, I relocated my Dad’s “junk” into my garage and reclaimed the building. The “Rabbit Room” became the home of some beautiful show rabbits. My goal was to become a successful breeder, showman and salesman of fancy purebred rabbits. Our family traveled to Maryland, northern Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio to acquire top of the line breeding stock.

After a few years, several ups and downs, and some moderate success in realizing my goals, I had a decent ribbon collection hanging on the wall, a small trophy or two as well, and a growing almost obsessive desire to add more. Those ribbons meant so much to me.

The Rabbit Room hasn’t housed a rabbit for well over a decade now. The junk made a return and resides there again. When I do go in there for something I’ll pause once in a while and remember all the great times my son and I had working together with the rabbits. I can still see my father hard at work building racks for the pens. The scene of my mother bottle-feeding orphans comes to mind. I recall the beaming smiles of visitors holding the cute-as-buttons baby bunnies. I think about all the wonderful people we met back then.

The ribbons are still there: the blues have faded to lavender, the reds to pink, the yellows to near white, the white to dingy gray, and all our covered with cob webs and dirt. Funny how much they once meant to me in contrast to how meaningless they are now. Eventually the ribbons will go the way of all earthly things - to decay and destruction. Not that there is anything wrong with the “ribbons” of this life in and of themselves, but how easily and deceptively we can slip into coveting them. Are you hard on the trail of your “ribbons” today? Take pause and consider where your mind is set - is it above or below?

The Bible instructs us to value above all else - our relationships with the Lord and with other people. The things of the earth - they simply fade away.