joyancejames

Tag: historymaker

  • The red carpet ass!

    Who would have imagined that a colt (young donkey/ass) would ever walk on a carpet and be welcomed with palm branches? So here is my incredible story as it happened.

    There wasn’t much too life, our home was in Bethphage near Mt Olives, outside the ancient city of Jerusalem. It was just mom & me ever since dad went out for an errand and never returned. As a foal I always dreamed of a king riding on my back, only later I realized that royal rides are a luxury only afforded by our distant cousins horses and mules. In vain I wished that my father had mated a mare so I would be a mule or if my mother had an affair with a stallion I’d have been a hinny! Little did I know that our cultural presumption and cast segregation was soon to be found in the dumps.

    Maybe our owner was just over protective or opposed to child labor so he never rode on me, it was my mom who would go for trips. So it came as a surprise when early one beautiful morning 2 men came and untied me and my master complied happily.

    These men brought me to a place where my back was decked with their coats in order to prepare me for their Master. The Master (Yeshua) was a typical middle eastern, sun-burnt Jew, nothing too fancy or attractive about Him. Heard He was a carpenter first before becoming a public figure. I’ve never seen the love I saw in Yeshua’s eyes, He could see beyond any facade and masquerade and still love so unconditionally! Since this was the first ride of my life I proceeded to think that all humans were as light as Him, I was wrong and it is in retrospect that I realize the truth when He said take my yoke upon you for my burden is light!

    As we entered the city, we were treated with shouts of, “Hosanna” (later became the staple of modern worship songs), “Baruch haba B’shem Adonai, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”! The street was decorated with palm leaves and robes and coats were spread out on the street, a welcome fitting for a king. The young colt in me didn’t realize the sanctity of the situation, only many years later and wiser it dawned on me that greater is He who was on me than me myself.

    Now at the end of my life as I retrospect I truly agree with Paul another disciple of Yeshua when he said that God chooses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. Did a young wild ass deserve a royal to ride on him? The King of the universe who chose a manger over a palace, also preferred a colt to any other regal animal. A young Syrian wild ass colt was chosen by Yeshua and lived to tell the tale. Age and lineage are no prerequisites for becoming a history maker.

    Yeshua wants a ride in your city, down your streets, are you willing?

  • 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.donkey