Ringo was the name of the little brown donkey who shared the field with two horses twice his size behind Greg and Sheila’s beautiful farmhouse estate. During our visit to their farm in South Georgia, Sheila told me, “The first time our young grandson saw Ringo, he said, ‘His name’s not Ringo. That’s Hubba Hubba!'” Guess what? Ringo had an immediate name change!
It was a treat to see Hubba Hubba and his two horse friends start running from their pasture toward us to get to their feeding stalls when Sheila sounded their “dinner bell.” Well, the horses had a fancy gallop, while Hubba Hubba made his way with a stocky trot.
Donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn creatures. However, it appears that they aren’t necessarily stubborn so much as they have a high sense of carefulness. If they don’t feel something is in their best interest or safety, they will not do it. One writer said that training a donkey can’t be done unless you show or prove that he can trust you to protect him from harm.
Is feeling safe important to you as it is to the donkey? I would have to answer yes to that question. The desire to feel safe is innate in all of us, not only to be physically safe but also to feel secure in our relationships with others.
The Christian life is all about learning to trust our Heavenly Father. The Bible says, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go: He’s the One who will keep you on track.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 Msg). We are stubborn, just like donkeys, until we learn Who God is and then trust Him. Then our overwhelming fear goes away.
Leave a Reply
Your email is safe with us. We don't share email addresses with anyone.