I relished the book, Flash, by Rachel Anne Ridge. The tale of a stray donkey who wandered into their lives as an undesirable inconvenience and eventually became a quirky yet beloved member of their family. This hapless creature, much like Balaam’s donkey, was used by God to teach spiritual lessons to his owners, increasing their capacity for joy and delight.
So now, I want a donkey. Like how I wanted a giraffe after meticulously following April the Giraffe’s very long pregnancy through the birth of her calf, Tajiri. And like how I wanted an otter after observing the volunteers bottle feed the babies at the Tampa Aquarium. And like how I wanted a kangaroo after getting to scratch one behind the ears at Busch Gardens, its form leaning in to receive the affection and relief of the itch. And like how I want every dog I see frolicking in the waves on Pet Beach at Honeymoon Island State Park.
Okay, you get the drift of an obvious pattern here. God made me to be a lover of His animals, and He supplies me with ceaseless opportunities to delight in them. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17) He created some animals to be of service to men in hunting, farming, and assisting those with disabilities. And some to make the ultimate sacrifice in nature’s food chain. And still others to be simply vessels of receiving and giving love (think of the self-entitled Shih Tzu).
While owning my own little zoo is a delightful fantasy, it is of course practically prohibitive. So thank you, Father, for allowing me to enjoy your wondrous animals vicariously in so many ways. And thank you for the promise of a new heaven and earth, restored to Eden-like perfection. The animals’ instinct to fear man after The Fall will be no more. “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them all.” (Isaiah 11:6)
I can only imagine lying down in a verdant field snuggled up with a majestic lion, or taking a giraffe’s sweet face in my hands as I place lettuce leaves on his long, scratchy tongue. I eagerly anticipate a rowdy welcome into Heaven by all my beloved dogs I have had to part with on earth, with no small grief . . . Chi Chi, Ollie, Rocky.
Thank you, God, for the unceasing delights of your amazing gift of animals!
“The righteous care for the needs of their animals . . .” (Proverbs 12:10)
My sweet granddaughter, Claire, who shares her Gaga’s love for animals!