Is Love A Verb? -- Bruce Atchinson

Have you ever had to do something that broke your heart, yet you knew it was the most loving thing you could do? I've had many occasions when I faced that dilemma. One of those times was when my dearly-beloved rabbit, Gideon, suffered from a prolapsed rectum. The local vet didn't know much about rabbits so he only gave me a topical cream to rub on Gideon's bottom. As the days passed, he remained in agony. In fact, he was actually gnashing his teeth because of the pain.

On February 16, 2005, I made the decision to end his misery. I placed Gideon in a pet carrier and gave him some lettuce to eat. Then I waited for my friend from church to drive me to the clinic
Because of my love for my long-eared friend, I wept all afternoon. Gideon taught me so much about his kind as well as being such a sweet little rascal. The only comfort I felt was that my dear fur-clad lad wasn't suffering anymore.

DC Talk were right when they sang Love is a Verb. Love isn't love if no demonstrations of it take place. Of course the greatest demonstration of love was Christ's death on the cross for whosoever would give their lives to him. By dying to self, we gain eternal life. The good works we do as a result of having the Holy Spirit living in us only serve to further the love of the Lord to others.

Gideon was the inspiration for my first book, When a Man Loves a Rabbit: Learning and Living With bunnies. See the left side of my Bruce Atchison's Books page for details