God’s Animal, the Donkey

Hello Friends,

Are you getting ready for Halloween? Have you picked out a costume? Have your parents bought your favorite Halloween candy yet? I can’t believe that Halloween is only twenty-two days away. Then after Halloween comes Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and then Happy New Year! I have a feeling these next few months are going to fly by. If you are struggling to pick out a costume for Halloween, I have a suggestion for you. You should dress up like a donkey!!!

Why a donkey, you ask? Well let me tell you…. A couple of days ago, I came across an article that talked about how donkeys are the only animal that have a symbol of a cross on them. The cross runs down their back and across their shoulders. So, I asked myself, “How did the cross get there?” This is what the article said, “Apparently when Jesus was carrying his cross to the mount–to Calvary or Golgotha–a little donkey tried to help him but couldn’t get through the crowd. When the crowd dispersed, the little donkey went up to Jesus and he stood behind the cross and as the sun went down over the mount, the shadow of the cross fell across the donkey, and now every donkey has the cross.” Isn’t that awesome?!

We read about donkeys in the Bible. Jesus road a donkey into Jerusalem on Psalm Sunday, there is a donkey placed in our manger scenes at home, and God even allowed a donkey to talk–sort of like the donkey in the movie Shrek. God must really love donkeys! God must love them so much that He placed a cross on their back to remind us how important the cross is in our life. I’m sure glad He didn’t place a cross on any snakes…. The cross reminds us that Jesus loves us, that Jesus cares about us, that Jesus forgives us when we do something bad, that Jesus is willing to be in our life, and that Jesus is always there for us. Because the donkey decided to help Jesus that day, the donkey–like you and me–was given the sign of the cross and forever promised that it would be loved for eternity.

So, I think you should go as a donkey for Halloween! How cool would it be to be an animal that God created and blessed and loves for eternity? I think it would very cool! The next time you come across a donkey, look at its back and see if you can point out the cross on its back; and if you have time, say this prayer: “Dear Jesus, thank for the donkeys. Thank you for being in my life. And thank you for loving me.”

If you decide not to go as a donkey for Halloween, I guess that is okay! But hopefully I got you thinking about all the other animals that God created. I wonder why God created animals?

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!