But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. [Psalm 86:15]
"Nobody Asks the Donkey"
Sydney the Donkey and Muriel the sheep walked along the rough
Egyptian road trying to keep up with the crowd. Everyone was all in a rush and
upset and pushing and yelling ever since Moses finally got the Pharaoh to let
the Israelites go and Moses had the Hebrew nation pack up everything and march
toward to the Red Sea and to freedom.
“Well this was an
unexpected trip.” Muriel said running a bit to keep away from the switch
her master was using to keep the animals moving.
“What are you
complaining about?” Sydney responded. “Look at all the junk I have on
my back. They make me carry everything.”
“Well why
don’t you just dump it on the road? You are a donkey, people expect you to
be stubborn.” The helpful sheep advised.
“Well it’s not
that bad. Besides that is what God created me to do and if it makes me useful,
then I will have a place in the Promised Land.” Sydney said
optimistically.
“What is that?’ Muriel asked.
“That is where we are going silly.” The donkey informed his friend.
“This isn’t just a vacation trip you know. God did all those amazing
miracles back there to get us out of slavery and to take His people to the
Promised Land, which they say, is like paradise. This is the trip to get there
Muriel. Pretty exciting huh?’ Sydney answered her.
“Oh oh,
trouble.” Muriel remarked and she knew what she was talking about. Just
ahead, the caravan came to the edge of the Red Sea and they were grinding to a
halt. “This is terrible, Sydney” Muriel said in a panic. “Look
at that river. You can’t even see the other side and it is churning and
flowing. It must be a mile deep. Nobody can cross that. Look at Moses just
staring at it. He didn’t have a plan for this. I knew it. This is just
what the mistress of our family said all along. Moses should have left us in
slavery. At least we wouldn’t be backed up to the sea ready to be
slaughtered by Pharaoh’s army.” And then Muriel started to cry which
is a pretty unpleasant thing to listen to a sheep do.
“Haven’t you been paying any attention all this time?” Sydney
said nudging the weeping sheep so maybe she would stop crying. “Remember
what God did to Pharaoh when he wouldn’t let us go? He sent plague after
plague. The sun went out, the sea turned to blood, frogs and locusts covered
the land. That was all God’s doing because he loves us so much, he
couldn’t stand to see us in slavery.” The donkey said in his honking
donkey voice.
“How do you know God will save us from this? This
is hopeless. All of the humans are upset and panicking. If you are so smart,
how come none of them know what you know?” Muriel said critically
continuing to sniffle.
“Well, nobody asks a donkey what he thinks
about things.” Sydney said sounding somewhat hurt that he was never
consulted. “It is amazing to me the people of God continue to not trust
Him. Look at all those miracles and through all of that, none of those horrible
things happened to us. God kept the homes and land of His people from all the
plagues. Even that last one where he killed the first born of every human and
animal. God made sure our masters knew how to avoid that disaster. I am glad
because my brother Melvin is the first born and I would have hated to see him
go like that.”
Suddenly the panic in the crowd got much worse.
The people were screaming, “Pharaoh’s army is right behind us. They
are almost here!” The children running around crying and bumping in to
things and being stepped on by the adults.
“Come here
children” Sydney said to the panicking children. But all they heard was a
“BRAY’ from his donkey face. But they seemed to understand because
they hid under his legs to keep from being trampled.
“Any room
for a sheep under there?” Muriel said shyly. Sydney scooted the five year
old into her brother’s lap and Muriel snuggled in and all the children
hugged her warm fir.
“Sydney, I am afraid.” Muriel said
softly so the children wouldn’t cry.
“Get ready, Muriel. I
don’t know what God is going to do but he won’t let his people die
like this. God is faithful. He sent Moses from far away to save us from
slavery. Some day a great Messiah will come and take all of his people to
paradise. I hope that includes slightly smelly donkeys and scared little sheep
like you Muriel.” The donkey laughed.
“Well, that is
someday. For now the army of Pharaoh will be here any minute and I hear
Egyptians like lamb stew quite a lot.” She said and then she started to
cried again. The children started to cry because she was crying and everybody
was upset.
“You have to trust in the faithfulness of God you
silly sheep.” The donkey scolded. “Look, see at what Moses is
doing?”
Muriel peeked around Sydney’s legs and when she did,
the children peeked too. Because they were on a ridge, they could see Moses
standing in front of the raging Red Sea facing it with his chest out. Then, he
lifted his staff and spoke some words they could not make out. All of a sudden,
the sea began to crash and twist and change and a valley opened up and pulled
apart to make a huge pathway that was completely dry. Moses signaled and
God’s people started crossing it to safety, to salvation and to the
Promised Land.
“I am sorry I was such a big baby, Sydney.”
Muriel apologized letting the youngest children ride on her back as they
entered the parted sea. “You are my friend and you were right all along
about God’s faithfulness.” She apologized.
“Well,”
Sydney said warmly. “Its ok, I am used to it. After all, nobody ever asks
the donkey.”
Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house, testifying to what would be said in the future. But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. [Hebrews 3:1-6]
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50
Children's Christian Stories in one handy volume. This is a perfect
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