Rabbits, water tanks and Psalm 62

By Steven Polley

Director, Office of Youth Ministry

As I travel to Adoration early each Thursday morning it is not difficult to notice the large number of rabbits that inhabit the open fields by the cathedral. As I watch them run across the road, etc.... I am once again taken back to growing up in Eastern Colorado.

In the late 60s and early 70s you were paid as much as two dollars a rabbit, so hunting them was a wonderful recreation away from school, sports and activities. I can still hear my grandfather saying that we probably spent more on bullets than what we were paid for the rabbits, but still we kept going. Remembering these things reminds me that God’s hand is in all things. For only through God’s infinite plan did I survive some of the events of my childhood.

Regarding the rabbits, normally there were five of us with guns. One person would be in the passenger seat of the pickup, while four others would kneel on the propane tank in the bed of the pickup. The two on the outside had to be a little more careful, as it was rather crowded on the sides. We would pop over a hill in a wheat field, come upon a large group of rabbits, and simply begin shooting. We would go back and pick up the rabbits after the onslaught. There was one night that I was on the outside of the driver’s side of the pickup. The driver turned too sharp and I fell out. Now I am sure that we were not going that fast, and the ground was soft, but still, only God knows what could have really happened.

Now, the second part of my headline I do not remember. But trust me, I have heard the story many times over. Quite often my grandfather had to haul water to the cattle. He did this with an old truck, one that was so old the floor boards were worn though and you could see the ground running underneath you. On the truck grandpa had two 500 gallon tanks and one 300 gallon tank. It is my understanding that one day while I was with him, he had roped a sick cow and was doctoring her. I was playing on the tanks, fell off and while grandpa was checking on me the cow choked and died. Like many other accidents that I had, I probably did not have a scratch, but there was a loss of money with the cow.

Somehow, I know that these events were all part of God’s plan. As I reflect on this, I continue to find comfort in this and Psalm 62, “Only in God is my soul at rest.” Psalm 62 has become part of my weekly Adoration.

Last weekend after completion of the adult retreat “Surrender” held at the Heartland Center for Spirituality in Great Bend, my wife, Pam, and I stayed and attended the Saturday evening Mass in the Chapel at the Dominican Motherhouse. As I went to Communion I was drawn to Sister Rosalia Govert. There she was using a magnifying glass to see the words of the Communion Song. Here was one of many sisters who, through their prayer and ministry, had found a true meaning in Psalm 62. Oh, how much we can learn from something like this.

We know that God has a plan for each of us, and for each of our young people. God has a special way of speaking to everyone and drawing them more deeply into God’s comforting arms. But like myself as a young person growing up in the Church, how much of this was I fully aware of? How much are our young people aware of? How can we use our own story, or a favorite scripture to help our young people ponder more fully the life that God gives each of them?

As we begin our Lenten journey and enter more fully into our own prayer, fasting and almsgiving, may we too, help our young people become more aware of God’s presence in their daily lives.