The Petra Zone

My 9 year old was given a bunny last May. He has loved this bunny and even suprised us by the care he has given Myra. He was even wanting to have a birthday party for her.

A fox came under the fince 2 nights ago. The dog tryed to help and got a cut on the back. Myra had no way of defending herself. I know that this is a part of live but Jonathan does not.

He wakes up in the morning and runs to look under the building to see if she beat the fox. On the Toys R Us tv add with all the bunnies singing here comes peter cotton tail he cryed and said they could have been Myres babys. I took him to the store thday to try and make him feel better , he saw thoese head things with bunny ears and cryed and said he wanted to go home.

He asked me if I would agree with him that God would bring her back "coz Jesus said so".

How do you tell a brooken harted 9 year old that sometimes foxes get bunnys? Every time he says something about it I cant help but cry. Any body done this befor? I just dont know what to say.

Thanks, Debbie

Aw, that's a cruddy thing to have happen to a little kid. You don't have to say a lot; just listen to him. He is going to have to understand things like that happen sometimes. You can't protect him from everything, just listen to him. Maybe you should think about getting him another pet.

Debbie,

This is a tuff one. Because your heart is breaking, because your little one hurts and - he's one determined fella. One thing he knows, is that JESUS brings life and there were many occasions where the Lord healed people and raised Lazarus and now he remembers those stories and hopes that the same would apply to his bunny.

Good thing is that he wants to pray - and pray you should with him.
Tell him he should tell Jesus how he misses his bunny and how much he hurts and that he's so sad that the bunny is gone. Let him tell the Lord that he wishes the bunny would come back and if Jesus could do something about it. Help him to ask the Lord for comforting him during this difficult time and for helping him through the time of waiting for an answer from God.

See, the answer he wants may not come in the way he wishes, but God has a way of making things ok - it may be that he will be given another pet to care for and he'll be ready for that - because God can show a 9 year old that God's given him someone else to care for.
The Lord may also make him understand what's happened - in time. Right now he's going through a time of grief and denial - and I think that's normal - I might go through it if I'd lose someone I loved so much.
As he looks for the bunny - he's looking for hope. You can tell him there's always hope with Christ and that JESUS WILL bring comfort.
The comfort that eventually the grief will subside, but the memories are something he can always hold on to.

I'm not sure if I made sense here. My kids are grown for a few years now so I'm trying to think how a 9 year old may feel. But I think once he comes to grip with the grief, he will understand. He may understand more than you think, but he's hurting and he wants comfort and - hope.