All day I have been thinking about a story that I read over at Home Sanctuary this morning. Rachel Anne has a donkey named Flash that lives in her pasture. He just wandered into their barn one day and never left. They adopted him as their own and have been watching out for him ever since.
The other night they experienced a freezing rain storm and apparently Flash wasn't smart enough to make his way back into the barn. There he stood in the cold night, right next to the very barn that could shelter him. How ridiculous! How stubborn.
Wait a minute...I think there's a lesson here. Flash and I are a little more alike than I care to admit. What do we have in common, you ask? Let me tell you. I'd like to say that when the storms of life come, I run straight for the shelter of my Heavenly Father. It is, after all, the safest and most logical place to wait out a storm. But alas, like Flash, I can be a stubborn fool. Too set in my ways to run for the shelter that is offered me.
"Huddled in the freezing rain, not five feet from the shelter of the barn, the donkey raised his heavy head and looked at us questioningly. 'Huh?' he seemed to say."
Often that's what I do with God. I raise my head, look up at Him, and say "Huh? What is this all about?" I question the storm when I should just be depending on Him to help me ride it out. With His help and guidance, I can safely navigate any storm that life can throw my way.
There is, however, good news for Flash, and for me. Flash has loving owners and they had mercy on him and guided him back to the safety and warmth of the barn. It is much the same with our Heavenly Father. He is full of mercy for us. When we get caught in the storms of life, He comes to rescue us. He gently guides us to a place of refuge from the storm.
Yes, I am a lot like Flash. I too was once wandering, looking for someone to love me. Then God adopted me as His own and has been watching over me ever since.
Isaiah 32:1-2 "Look, a righteous king is coming! And honest princes will rule under him. Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a parched land."
10 comments:
Melissa, this is so good! Flash really is a picture of us in so many ways. Cold, wet, miserable....all so needless, when the barn is RIGHT THERE! "Huh??" yep that's like me, too.
I love the scripture you chose....I don't know why I've never noticed that one before! It's perfect.
If Flash only knew how inspirational he is, he'd be insufferable! :)
oh my, you sent chills down my spine. This was sooo true. Have you read the book the Shack? You would love it.
Great insight. I wish I could be a little bit less like Flash sometimes. This is something that I am constantly working on.
Love your song choice today! I truly enjoy other people's playlists!
Thanks so much for the coffee, and hope you survive all your snow up there!
Ya, I will admit to standing in the freezing rain, focused so much on my problem....thanks for the reminder to come into the warmth.
Great comparison! It is funny how some ah-hah moments tend to get you when you least expect it. I hope you are surviving the weather. My posts also starting taking a negative turn. It is so easy to do when times are tough. Hang in there.
PS love your grumpy boys face!
We are reminded often of how we are like sheep, but you are right, sometimes we are more like donkeys because we are not only helpless but also stubborn.
What a great way to look at it! I have been pretty stubborn these last few days, and when the storm hits, I too, look up at our Heavenly Father and say"Hugh?" I will seek the love and mercy from our Heavenly Father.
Thanks for sharing that. That is a good picture of how we are. I can be so stubborn at times.
Oh perfect. Thank you for this wonderful devotional. Yes, I think we all find ourselves much like Flash, totally clueless at times.
Thank you Heavenly Father for you love and grace, especially your grace.
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