I’ve been married to an equine veterinarian (horse doctor) for 36 years. In that span of time, I’ve come to understand one of the most humble creatures in the equine family: the donkey.
Seasoned horse owners sometimes take a weanling horse and tie him to a donkey and turn them out to pasture for a lesson in submission. The young horse may pull and balk at first but the donkey is patient. He doesn’t overreact like a horse will. He just patiently stands his ground. The horse will learn to eat when the donkey eats, sleep when the donkey sleeps. The young horse will learn to follow the donkey’s lead. If the yearling learns to submit to the donkey, he will submit to his owner too.
“Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
Matthew 21:2
God in all things
I think of the passage above that speaks about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He is preparing to face his own death. He has submitted to the will of his Father. I love where this passage says, ‘the Lord needs them.’ It reminds me that God is in all things–just Ignatius reminds us. In each physical manifestation in my environment, there are lessons for me to learn.
The Value of Waiting
Last Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent. It is a season of waiting and watching. It is a reminder for us to turn back to the will of God. Pay attention to where God is leading you right where you are. No matter what is going on in your life or in your family situation. God waits there. He is waiting for you to submit to his will. He doesn’t get too excited when you don’t. He continues waiting.
If I am afraid to let go of my loved one, he understands. Like the faithful donkey, he stands by us hoping that we grow in relationship with him. As we come to know his love for us and for our family members, we start to see that his way is better than our way. Once we trust, we submit.
It’s hard to wait on God’s time. As a child it was hard to wait on Christmas. As adults and family members it’s hard to wait on our loved ones to find recovery. But waiting is good. The process of waiting is like being tied to God. We don’t have to worry about fixing anything–he’s got it figured out. We can rest as we follow. What a relief.
Waiting is a time to get to know God personally. When I go to him about a little decision and an answer comes, I see how loving he is. When I pay attention during the day in a way that waits on an intuition or feeling that I feel is given to me by God, I don’t feel anxious or nervous. I feel guided. I feel supported. I feel loved.
Advent is a season that reminds us that we are dependent on a Savior. What can you learn as you wait?
Jean, this was lovely. I don’t know about donkeys, and not much about God, but I know about waiting and surrendering. There lies a peace in not rushing to act, to solve, to deal with. A Jungian analyst once called this state of mind ‘erdauern’, which is hard to translate. It means something like: accomplishing something through giving it time, in an active sense… anyway, thank you for your words, bringing peace on a cold and dreary day… exercising patience.
Elisabeth, thank you for the comment. As I grow older, I am tickled to see the symmetry between things that I’ve read and the way that I find it in nature. I will say that observing donkeys has taught me many things. Ha! I love the wisdom of Carl Jung who had a early connection to Bill Wilson in the beginning of AA’s formation. Still, there is so much to learn!