To carry a load without resting, to be not bothered by heat or cold, and to always be content: These things we can learn from a donkey. – Pakistani proverb
The temperature is a brutal 108. There stands Jeb in his usual afternoon resting position. Not only does he have the same posture, he’s in the same place. Summer heat, winter cold. Next to the corral, near a scraggly oak tree. That’s where Jeb takes his afternoon rest.
Jeb, for that matter the other donkeys we’ve had in our lives, don’t seem to mind the weather extremes. Well, they do hide from the rain. I think the pounding of the water may irritate their skin.
Have you ever noticed in stories about people trudging across desserts they often have a donkey or two carrying the luggage—lots of luggage. Sturdier than horses, donkeys can carry a hefty load. They also have an inborn sense of self-preservation. A donkey will stop short in what it perceives as a dangerous situation. They will also trudge along behind for hours and hours, only resting when their human companion needs to rest.
My donkeys rarely complain. Well, they do let us know when it’s time to add feed to their buckets and bins. It’s just a gentle reminder though. Look at a donkey’s face. Yep, I encourage you to go find a donkey and look directly in the eyes. What do you see? Probably contentment. Their ears tell more about whether danger may be about than fear in their faces.
Some interpret the head down position as sadness. It’s to keep the sun or rain out of their eyes. Simple.
How about us? Are we asked to carry a load or stand in the heat or trudge through the cold? Do we do so without complaint? No. We complain whenever we get a chance. Whether it’s to a loved one, God, a stranger on an airplane, we seem to always have reason to voice our discontent.
In Philippians 4:11, the apostle Paul says, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” Content no matter the circumstances. My goodness, Paul was under house arrest at the time he wrote the letter to Philippians. He couldn’t leave, though he could have visitors. He was stuck in the house for about two years. No trips to the coffee shop, no grocery outings, no fellowship gatherings. There he was imprisoned. And the air conditioning probably didn’t work so well. All the while, he was content.
Maybe we need to more like our donkey friends. Find a way to stand in the heat of trouble. Strengthen ourselves to carry the burden of everyday life, the life God has graciously given us.