A Closer Walk

I’ve long enjoyed walking with horses. Matching pace and destination with any fellow creature is companionable. That a large, powerful, graceful animal like a horse would consent to do so with me is humbling.

Since getting donkeys, I’m more humbled still.

Maybe it’s because they’re young. Unlike the seasoned lesson horses I ride, my donkeys haven’t been following a lead rope for ten-plus years, so I don’t take that skill for granted. Also, they’re clear about their dislikes—including several things my retired therapy horse never blinked at. So when they consent to something, their concession feels more meaningful.

Whatever the reason, I sometimes find myself asking, as I take the lead rope, Why would they follow me?

I do this especially with Dulcie. I love both my donkeys, but she and I have connected in a way Tobin and I haven’t.

Dulcie’s smart, strong, and agile. She could ditch me if she chose. Yet she follows me. She’ll follow me to be tied for the farrier, whose hoof trimming she only tolerates. She’s followed me past the vet, whom she wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole (bless him!). Sometimes she’ll follow me while loose in the paddock without even being asked.

I’ve previously used the experience of walking with horses as a metaphor for walking with Jesus. Now I see the same parallel in walking—or rather, wheeling, since I now use a wheelchair—with donkeys.

At some point, we’ve all been reluctant to follow God’s leading. We have plenty of other options, many of them appealing.

So why, in the end, do we follow Him? And why in the world does He want to walk with us?

Here are a few musings from the donkey paddock.

God can wait

Sometimes when I take the lead rope, Dulcie doesn’t follow right away. Instead, she stays put.

From my point of view, the request to “walk on” is pretty simple. From her point of view … who knows?

Maybe she’d rather be eating. Maybe Tobin is standing too close and she doesn’t want to brush past him. Maybe she’s wondering where we’re going and isn’t sure she wants to go.

At least I know she knows what I’m asking. That, plus some encouraging words, should be enough.

So I tell her what I want … and wait. And sooner or later, she steps toward me.

I believe she does so because, among other things, she knows I can and will outwait her.

On one hand, there’ s no point in dragging out a wait you’re sure to lose. On the other, why not follow someone who wants you enough to wait for you?

God wants us enough to wait on us. He knows we lack His knowledge and perspective. He knows our eyes and hearts wander. He knows we fear the unknown. He knows we’ll often hesitate—and He’s prepared.

He also wants us enough not to manhandle us into obedience. After all, He wants us—not our actions and words only, but our whole selves. Walking together is about relationship. If our hearts aren’t with Him, we’re not truly walking with Him.

The reality is, we either follow Him, or we don’t.

That might make defection sound easy—until we realize we’re up against Someone infinitely more stubborn and resourceful than we are.

God can out-ask and outwait us. We must either give in … or spend our lives fighting Someone who will never give in.

If we choose the latter, we’ll wear ourselves out and get ourselves hurt in a battle against love. And because He won’t force obedience, the battle can only end in our surrender. If we never surrender, the war will never end. We’ll spend our lives struggling and our eternity suffering.

God considers us worth a wait. He’s worth ending the wait for by taking a step of faith.

God’s presence is where the goodness is

The other day, I hung out with Dulcie in the paddock after the donkeys’ supper. No halters or ropes—just chilling and doling out scratchies. Finally, I started to leave.

Keeping her nearer ear trained on me, Dulcie shifted to stay beside my wheelchair. Together, we crossed the paddock. When I stopped, she stopped and waited for more scratchies.

She’s not afraid to draw near. She knows I won’t lash out at her. She knows I’ll try to understand her feelings, intentions, ideas, and requests, even if I say no.

Most importantly, she knows I offer good things—scratchies, brushing, friendly words, a (mostly) positive attitude. And being a highly logical creature, she knows the way to get those things is to get near me.

God is our ultimate source of goodness. If we want that goodness, we must go to Him—and keep close.

Coming to Him for goodness’s sake might sound self-serving. But God made us to need Him. Realizing our need for Him is a healthy, necessary step toward a right relationship with Him.

And like a loving parent (or donkey owner), He delights in giving good things. When we approach Him, He won’t turn us away. He’ll hear and understand our wants, even if He says no. All He gives is good—even His no’s are good. And He always provides what we truly need when we need it.

And aside from His gifts, He Himself is good. His love, power, wisdom, faithfulness, holiness, and majesty are unrivaled. He’s worth being close to for His own sake.

God wants to walk with us

Now I turn the tables: why would this wonderful God want to walk with us? Compared to Him, we are, after all, mere donkeys. (Probably less than donkeys—at least donkeys use common sense!)

I can come up with only one logical explanation: He loves us.

He owes us nothing. We owe Him our very existence. We possess nothing He hasn’t given us. All we can really give back is a choice to honor Him with what He’s provided. And we squander that choice over and over.

Yet He pursues us. He calls us. He waits for us. He gives us good things. He gives us Himself.

He wants us so much He sacrificed Himself to save us from self-destruction. God the Son took on human form and lived a sinless life among us, teaching about God and healing the sick. He suffered and died on the cross to atone for our sins, was buried, and rose to life on the third day afterward to conquer death. Forty days later, He ascended to heaven, where He intercedes and advocates for everyone who puts their hope in Him. One day He’ll return to renew the world and end sin, suffering, and death forever.

Because of all this, anyone who accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior gains a free, full, eternal relationship with God. He forgives their sins and assigns them Christ’s righteousness (good standing). The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in them, so that they have everything they need to live a God-honoring life. And they look forward to eternity in God’s kingdom and resurrection at Jesus’s return. Nothing will separate them from God, in this life or the next.

If you haven’t already accepted a relationship with God through Jesus, now’s the time! Believe that Jesus died on the cross to atone for your sins, was buried, and rose to life on the third day afterward to offer you eternity with God. Confess your sins to God and repent of them. Ask His forgiveness. Ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life and Savior of your soul.

To Him, you’re worth sharing an eternal journey with. And He’s worth following.

You reveal the path of life to me;
in your presence is abundant joy;
at your right hand are eternal pleasures.

Psalm 16:11 CSB

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Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.