Friday, October 11, 2013

Have You Beaten your Donkey Lately?


The angel of the Lord asked [Balaam], "Why have you struck your donkey these three times?  Behold. I have come out as an adversary, because your way was contrary to me."  (Num. 22:32)

Hey Gang:  I would guess that Balaam was in absolute shock.  He had just been chewed on by the donkey! "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden all your life to this day? Have I ever been accustomed to do so to you?" (vs. 30) 

As I read this account of the tug-of-war between Balaam and his donkey, I recollected a few battles that I have encountered with these beasts; I learned early "They have their own mind"!  My first encounter was with a donkey named Scrape Iron, a gift from a salty cowboy from Midland.  He called one day and told me he was sending a couple ponies to our ranch.  He did not mention this long eared critter that was about to become king of the corral.   I can attest that I lost far more battles with scrap Iron than I won.  I might add the boys loved this long eared critter - and me too.

But my favorite story centered on another gift of six donkeys.  The gentlemen who donated them neglected to tell me that were in a forty-acre field and had not had human hands laid on them in more than a year. 

Well, I had a friend – notice, I said "I had a friend" who I conned into going the 120 miles to pick up the critters.  Now David was even more salty than Matt.  It seems when I got involved in the ‘donkey gig’ I always ran into a salty sort of chap.

Did you ever try and catch a wild donkey in a forty acre field?  No I suppose you haven't. So let me tell you the procedure - you run your tail off for more than four hours, until the critters are too tired to run anymore.  Then the fun begins – (they did not want to get into the trailer!)  Did you ever wrestle with a donkey?  No I supposed not.  As David described it - is it much like hand to hand combat!

O, I neglected to tell you, it had rained several days before his arrived.  An hour later the sixth beast was loaded into the trailer and they headed for home.  Going through Lansing at peak traffic time they hit a traffic jam which ticked-off the Jack and he began to bellow. I will not include what he said, but can tell you, David had a wee bit of a temper being an Irishman and he was red from the neck up.      
I had been advised that David was a little ticked, when the staff who received his call said it melted the phone lines between Lansing and the Village.

Well, I think it would better to get back to Balaam and his confrontation with his life-long taxi.   Why was Balaam ticked at the donkey?  Because it made a fool out of him.  I suspect Balaam's mind was closed and God needed to open it.

Soooo, friends and neighbors, time to be honest. There are times God stands in my path, and I don't see Him.  All I see is that things are going wrong and I'm looking like an idiot and it makes me grumpy!  When pride snarls around my heart, my path becomes a reckless one.  I'm so glad God stand in the way, confronts my motives and prepares me before allowing me to continue.

Sharon Hinck, when confronted by a stubborn donkey wrote the following prayer; "Lord, next time I face an obstacle, help me leap off the donkey.  Fall on my knees and listen to Your words.  And Help me never, ever, beat the donkey You are using to get my attention".

Blessings,

Gramps

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