Lost Donkeys

Do you ever lose things?

As old age continues tightening its grip on this body and mind that used to belong to me, I occasionally misplace things.

I have a son who, due to his age or gender or family tree - misplaces things often.

How do you respond when you mislay an item? Do you put out a family "APB"? Do you remain calm and retrace your steps? or do you frantically begin upending furniture and dumping drawers in an effort to uncover the item?

Losing things can be very frustrating.

We lose our cat at times (as you may recall). Last night it was determined at a very late hour that our little "Angel" was missing (that's our cat and it should be noted that in the world of good and evil, both sides have angels). I was a little frustrated.



This morning (I had taken the day off), we quickly found her . . . stuck in yet another tree.



After now three rescues from trees - this cat has developed a severe learning disability when it comes to the question of how to extricate one's self from a tree.

My reading of the Bible in the book of I Samuel has taken me to the enigmatic character of Saul, the first King of Israel.

A point was made in a commentary by Finis J. Dake about Saul's initial call into the role of monarch, and I found it quite interesting.

You see, Saul's Dad was a landowner, apparently fairly well off. They had fields and cattle. When the donkeys went missing for a time, his father sent him and a servant to find them.

They traveled to many villages and after several days they decided they had better return lest his father give up worrying about the donkeys and start worrying about Saul and the servant. As something of a last ditch effort, Saul and the servant devised a plan to go to a Seer or a Prophet of God who could possibly tell them where the donkeys ended up.

The "Seer" turned out to be none other that the man of God - Samuel.

God had already prepared Samuel for the meeting, telling him what would transpire and what he should say to the young man that would come to seek his help.

Samuel convinced Saul and his servant to stay with him for a few days and as he was sending Saul off, Samuel gave him the message from God.

He anointed Saul to become the king of Israel.

Later we learn that Saul was so timid and backward that when he was to be officially announced to the nation - he ran and hid.

Dake pointed out that Saul couldn't have been lured to a meeting to discuss his role in the future of Israel. So God used the lost donkeys to arrange a "chance" meeting between Saul and Samuel.

The next time something goes missing, maybe you should ask yourself: "What kind of "chance" encounter does God have lined up for me? How could this event be wrapped up somehow in the destiny God has prepared for me?"

Incidentally, it turns out that- unlike my cat - the lost donkeys were not waiting around for someone to come and find them (and apparently they had not climbed any trees!). Instead they returned home on their own accord. . . . are you listening, Angel?!?