Talking donkeys and crushed Cheerios!
I slowly close my daughter's bedroom door as I let out a long sigh of relief. I walk down the hallway feeling like Rocky at the end of every iconic boxing scene...exhausted, a little beaten up, and a little broken, even with the tune of "Eye of the Tiger" ringing out in my mind. I crash down on the couch finally feeling victorious - the day is done. I think all parents can agree that some days are like rainbows and sunshine, but most days are not...at all. This is one of those days. The kind of day that starts out rough, the kids are up long before the crack of dawn, and then things slowly snowball into one giant mountain of frustration and irritability. But now, I kick up my feet and try to find some sort of silver lining!
I'm currently reading in the book of Numbers and today's story comes from Numbers 22. The Israelites are getting very close to reaching Canaan and have set up camp near Moab. The Moabites have heard about these Israelites and things they have done in the past and suddenly became full of dread. The king of Moab had one guy in mind - Balaam. This Balaam character reminds me of someone straight out of a Harry Potter film...the guy was a famous fortune-teller, interpreting dreams, and casting spells. In fact, he had such a reputation that the Moabite King called on him specifically. Balaam wasn't necessarily a good guy, he was more than likely a worshipper of pagan gods. The name Balaam even means destruction of people. One day, Balaam decided to set out on a journey to meet this Moabite king with his donkey as his only transportation. On the narrow road, the angel of the Lord appeared and the donkey was so startled that she injured Balaam. This happened three times and Balaam's anger grew with every time. "Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth..." Numbers 22:28. I mean come on...I've seen magical Disney movies and read all the children's nursery books but can you really imagine if this were to happen in real life? It's almost like, you always pray that God would send you a sign but to have your own donkey start having a conversation with you?! It wasn't until after the Lord "opened Balaam's eyes" that Balaam realized there was an angel right in front of him.
This is the part that gets me: The angel of the Lord says to Balaam "I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me..." Have you ever had that kind of warning? Maybe not the Lord's angel coming and speaking directly to you, but maybe that little voice in your head? A trusted friend or relative? A scripture at just the right time? The ways you have been living may not be on the right path. So take this as a warning...Is your path a reckless one?
The story goes on to say that Balaam went ahead with the gang to meet this king, but listened to the angel's warning. He was then used by God to declare messages and revelations to the people of Moab. And now this whole story has me thinking...the fact that God used a broken man with a reputable past such as Balaam gives me encouragement that maybe He could use me too. Or the fact that He can use something so unusual as a donkey, makes me realize He uses the ordinary things to teach us a lesson. Balaam became angry with the donkey because he was only focused on the burden and not the blessing that was right in front of him. Let me be completely honest and vulnerable here...today I lost my patience. Many many times. In one breaking point, the kids were fighting over a bowl of dry cheerios and next thing you know - theres crushed cheerios all over the floor. I'm not sure why the mess upset me so, but now I'm realizing I was only focused on the burdens of the day. The tantrums, crying, fighting, etc...all of it was weighing me down. As I cleaned up the mess, I turned around to see my daughter kissing her brother and explaining "it's ok." And that moment broke me.
While I spent most of my day worrying about my burdens: the ways my children behaved, the disaster that is my house, not getting enough "me" time; I completely lost sight of all the blessings right in front of me: the fact that I have two healthy children, a house to call our own, and most importantly that God loves me and my family unconditionally. Maybe your burdens are much bigger than crushed cheerios and I can understand that. You might be suffering from so much more than you ever thought you could handle, but let me tell you that just like Balaam...the Lord is with you. Even if you can't see Him yet, He is there and goes before you. Be encouraged, my friend. In the middle of your mess, open your eyes and see that the Lord is there too.
I'm currently reading in the book of Numbers and today's story comes from Numbers 22. The Israelites are getting very close to reaching Canaan and have set up camp near Moab. The Moabites have heard about these Israelites and things they have done in the past and suddenly became full of dread. The king of Moab had one guy in mind - Balaam. This Balaam character reminds me of someone straight out of a Harry Potter film...the guy was a famous fortune-teller, interpreting dreams, and casting spells. In fact, he had such a reputation that the Moabite King called on him specifically. Balaam wasn't necessarily a good guy, he was more than likely a worshipper of pagan gods. The name Balaam even means destruction of people. One day, Balaam decided to set out on a journey to meet this Moabite king with his donkey as his only transportation. On the narrow road, the angel of the Lord appeared and the donkey was so startled that she injured Balaam. This happened three times and Balaam's anger grew with every time. "Then the Lord opened the donkey's mouth..." Numbers 22:28. I mean come on...I've seen magical Disney movies and read all the children's nursery books but can you really imagine if this were to happen in real life? It's almost like, you always pray that God would send you a sign but to have your own donkey start having a conversation with you?! It wasn't until after the Lord "opened Balaam's eyes" that Balaam realized there was an angel right in front of him.
This is the part that gets me: The angel of the Lord says to Balaam "I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me..." Have you ever had that kind of warning? Maybe not the Lord's angel coming and speaking directly to you, but maybe that little voice in your head? A trusted friend or relative? A scripture at just the right time? The ways you have been living may not be on the right path. So take this as a warning...Is your path a reckless one?
The story goes on to say that Balaam went ahead with the gang to meet this king, but listened to the angel's warning. He was then used by God to declare messages and revelations to the people of Moab. And now this whole story has me thinking...the fact that God used a broken man with a reputable past such as Balaam gives me encouragement that maybe He could use me too. Or the fact that He can use something so unusual as a donkey, makes me realize He uses the ordinary things to teach us a lesson. Balaam became angry with the donkey because he was only focused on the burden and not the blessing that was right in front of him. Let me be completely honest and vulnerable here...today I lost my patience. Many many times. In one breaking point, the kids were fighting over a bowl of dry cheerios and next thing you know - theres crushed cheerios all over the floor. I'm not sure why the mess upset me so, but now I'm realizing I was only focused on the burdens of the day. The tantrums, crying, fighting, etc...all of it was weighing me down. As I cleaned up the mess, I turned around to see my daughter kissing her brother and explaining "it's ok." And that moment broke me.
While I spent most of my day worrying about my burdens: the ways my children behaved, the disaster that is my house, not getting enough "me" time; I completely lost sight of all the blessings right in front of me: the fact that I have two healthy children, a house to call our own, and most importantly that God loves me and my family unconditionally. Maybe your burdens are much bigger than crushed cheerios and I can understand that. You might be suffering from so much more than you ever thought you could handle, but let me tell you that just like Balaam...the Lord is with you. Even if you can't see Him yet, He is there and goes before you. Be encouraged, my friend. In the middle of your mess, open your eyes and see that the Lord is there too.
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