April 29, 2008...5:49 pm
Chasing Donkeys
We have all done it: chased donkeys. Not literally chased donkeys. (Though I imagine that anyone who actually has chased a donkey has a good story about it.) But we have all gone looking for something, trying to find a donkey, but somehow ended up finding something entirely different. We go to college looking for an education, and we find a wife. We go to a concert to hear the main act and fall in love with the lead-in band. We go to the store to pick up a gift for a friend, and they are sold out of that item, but instead they have another item that turns out to be the perfect gift. These things happen in life, and they also happened to a young man name Saul.1 Samuel 9 tells us the story of Saul. His dad’s donkeys had strayed off the property, so Saul and a young boy went throughout the area looking for these donkeys. Every village and country had the same result: no donkeys. Saul, like a good son, thought that if they keep looking for these donkeys, then his father would start sending people searching for Saul, so he suggested they turn back. But the boy told him that they should check with the local man of God, Samuel. So, they went and found Samuel. Samuel knew they were coming. God had warned him of such things that this man from the tribe of Benjamin, the lowest of the 12 tribes of Israel, would come to him and Samuel was to anoint this man as King over all of Israel.
Talk about a journey. You go out to find some donkeys, and you end up king of Israel. Wouldn’t that be nice? Reminds me of Saved by the Bell. (That’s right, we are going to have a Saved by the Bell analogy. From the Old Testament to Saved by the Bell, you won’t see that everyday.) In their Hawaii movie. The gang went to Hawaii for a little 2 week vacation. While they are there, a local tribe kidnaps Screech. It is not your normal kidnapping though, as he looks like their original chief, Monaleo, so Screech is their messiah figure, the promised one to come and save the tribe. Well to make a long story short, the gang saved the hotel, the tribe, and they lived happily ever after. (I hope I didn’t ruin the movie for you.) Screech went there for a vacation, and ended up their chief. Surprising indeed.
Sometimes though this is what happens in our life with God. We are going down this path of life, and on that journey, God intervenes. He tells us that while you think you are out here looking for donkeys, I am looking for you. I believe that God often puts us on a path, simply to lead you to another one. It’s like making a long trip in a car. Sometimes you have to head North for a bit to go West. Or you have to take I-35, only because you need to get to I-44.
You don’t always know what happens, when you are chasing donkeys. Sometimes you may not find the donkeys and return home empty handed. Sometimes you may find the donkeys. Sometimes you might become king, but sometimes, nay, every time your heart is open, you will find the King.
5 Comments
April 29, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Cool post. The last paragraph especially good.
April 30, 2008 at 5:28 pm
“nay?” Is that a donkey pun? I thought donkeys hee-hawed…
April 30, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Steve, thanks for the kind words.
Brett, well it was sorta a donkey pun, though I knew that horses went “nay,” I just was hoping that people were not smart enough to realize that, but I should have known that I couldn’t fool you.
May 1, 2008 at 11:37 pm
It’s not wisdom — it’s years of watching the opening animation to “Hee Haw” that has it stuck in my brain…
June 16, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Good unfolding of chasing donkey’s. It really is the “intimacy factor” that we need to seek. Seek Him and He will be found. Draw near. He’ll do the same. Know and be known. Released to love and be loved.
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