The ass who spoke!

How can I ever forget the day my life turned around, the day I experienced what none of my kind could ever have imagined or ever will. Before I continue, I’ll just give a prelude to my narrative.

My master, Balaam or so they call him, is a revered seer. We live on the banks of the river Euphrates, in a small town called Pethor. Although my master is a very influential man, at this period of time, we didn’t have much, because if he did, he’d ride a camel rather than an ass! Not belittling my kind, we may come cheap but we’re as sturdy and reliable as it can be, my family has faithfully served my master and the generation before him.

The last few days we’d few royal emissaries from our king. There was this huge train of people travelling in the desert for many years and even without a well trained army or structure they had annihilated entire tribes around us. Our king wanted my master to curse them. My master had a gift, those he blessed would prosper and those he cursed would wither away and this was what the king intended to exploit. My master had refused the offer the first time but the second time I felt he would budge because the offer was too enticing for his prideful heart to resist, and very well he did give in.

We started early morning on that day, had to cover a long distance to the palace. I could see the excitement and anticipation in my master’s demeanor; he even forgot to pray before we took off for the journey. Even I was excited to undertake this journey to the royal castle after a very long time. The servants behind us carried the supplies for the way. Around midday, we passed through the vineyards of the royal noblemen, on the outskirts of the walled citadel. We were passing through a narrow path when I suddenly saw a man who looked unlike anyone I’d seen before, brandishing a sword as if to attack us. I veered away into the ditch, my master almost fell off. Instead of thanking me, he hit me to bring me back on the path.

It happened a second time, to avoid the unearthly man with the sword I ran into a fence and hurt my master, only to be beaten by him. It was then that I realized that maybe his pride has blinded him from the danger ahead of him which I could see, what I could not digest was God had allowed me to envision the danger but had kept it hidden from my master.

The third time, there was no way to escape the swordsman and I sat down in order not to run into danger. This time my master lost it completely and rained down a flurry of blows on my back! As I groaned and prayed that he could see the motive behind my action, the unthinkable happened, I spoke and my master could comprehend! I spoke in the human tongue! Balaam saw the cleared picture and repented.

Never imagined that God would use an ass to speak sense to a prophet who had lost his way! It is hard to believe that that His children whom God created in His likeness and image, fail to listen and recognize His voice. God in His great mercy does not give up on them; He pursues them with tenacity and perseverance that is unparalled and doesn’t hesitate to use even a dumb ass like myself for His glory.

And yes, He cares for those He chooses for His purposes, He cared enough to save me from my master’s wrath and the angle’s sword.

I thought I was the lone history-maker, there would be no other, but one of my kind rode on to Jerusalem around the turn of the millennia and for some reason, people spread out clothes and leaves before him. Hope he’d narrate his story too, that would be one heck of an adventure.