The Woman and Her Donkey

The images that accompany this writing should be considered as gifts that were truly given to me as very special presents.  I was uncomfortably crouched on a large rounded boulder, shooting around tree trunks and below over hanging branches fully zoomed in to a setting that was at least 200’ feet away.  I was hand holding my camera in these awkward positions aiming into a heavily shaded area surrounded by extremely bright sun.  The whole experience must have lasted for at least 10 minutes.  As I look back now, there should have been nothing but blurry smudges.   However, the miracle of the images and the story, as it evolved is very vivid in its message for me.

THE WOMAN AND HER DONKEY

The organic beauty of the river, the source of life here.

I have not been back down to the river (at the location where I had my Eden vision) since I first arrived at MCF.  It is the bathing location for the female students and therefore inappropriate for me.  This morning, I went out about at 6:00 AM hoping to be able to return because they don’t wash until later in the day.  However, as I approached the path to the river, a young woman passed me going in the same direction, so my plans became changed. 

As I walk, the view of the mountain with its boulder.

I headed further up the river where I had witnessed the tree watering with Sheryl the week before.  I climbed down the same step bank that she had presented to me when I was with her. 

The beginning of the rainy season has broken the
drought since last March and raised the level of the river. 

I was amazed at how much the recent rains had raised the water level and removed any area where I could comfortably begin my meditation. 

After allowing myself to be absorbed by the movement of so much water, I looked up and on the other side of the river about 200’ away, I saw a woman with a donkey.  She had saddle barrels (two barrels fastened together with a rope yoke) over the donkey’s back.  She was filling them with water.  With a small bucket, she would walk into the fast moving rapids, filling it with water.  She would then carry its contents back, slowly filling the barrels on the donkey. 

Woman with  her donkey

My guess is the two black barrels were well over five gallons each.  She also had two smaller yellow barrels of the five gallon size. After she had filled the black barrels, she also hoisted the yellow barrels onto the back of the donkey filling them and then carefully securing all 4 barrels with a long rope.

Donkey has fallen with his load (head to right and feet to left).

As she began to lead the donkey up the rocks to the path, the donkey fell and was unable to return to standing.  She tried to help the donkey up, but her efforts were unsuccessful. 

As all this was occurring, I found myself concerned and frustrated at the same time.  Was the donkey hurt?  What would this woman do?  What could I do?  I could not cross the river to assist her. 

She quickly untied the barrels releasing the donkey, and to my relief, it regained its footing. 

The women then put the smaller yellow barrels back on the donkey.  Because of their size and weight, she was unable to raise the larger black barrels to the donkey’s back.

True to my “logical” American way, I found myself thinking about the woman’s best options.  She “should” empty the black barrels, mount them back on the donkey, and then refill them.  However, my thoughts were apparently not her thoughts.  She was moving in other directions. 

 

Donkey moves as woman attempts to lift barrels.

After removing the yellow barrels to give her more space on the donkey, she again tried to hoist the black barrels.  The donkey would not cooperate and moved away as soon as she picked up the heavy burden of the black barrels. 

About this time, and important piece in my growth occurred.  My prayers are usually limited to my morning meditation, and I rarely pray for anything specific.  Instead I hold others within the Spirit of God with the idea that God’s presence will decide what needs to be done and how it will be approached. 

I suspect that what happened next within my thoughts for the lady and her donkey stemmed from the service for the MCF students I had attended the night before.  The minister, Joasiah (I have formed a very close and meaningful relationship with him), had been speaking about how to approach prayer in order to discover our future directions.  He had mentioned the need to be specific in our prayers as we seek out our directions. 

Prayer, usually a forgotten option within me, immediately came to mind regarding my assistance with the woman.  However, what should be my specifics?  Should I pray to help her realize that the best solution was to empty the black barrels and refill them, or should I pray to follow her direction of continuing to hoist the full black barrels? 

 I decided that the direction was not mine to make.  I began to specifically pray that she would be able to hoist the full barrels.  She again maneuvered the donkey into position. 

Woman moving barrels to side of donkey

But this time, she first placed the yellow barrels beside the donkey

The woman lifting the black barrels on top of the yellow barrels.

and then lifted the black barrels so they were sitting on top of the yellow barrels.  This meant that she would have a shorter distance to lift them to the donkey’s back.  However, even with this approach, my prayers still seemed to be in need.  This same maneuver remained unsuccessful for at least two or three more attempts. The donkey continued to move away each time she lifted the heavy weights. 

At this point, my specific prayers became quite intense, and I am almost “lifting” the barrels for her.  The woman is also becoming quite intense with the donkey, forcefully (and I suspect angrily) pulling him back into position. 

Much to my amazement she was finally successful in elevating the black barrels over the donkey’s back.  Then she quickly added the yellow barrels and secured the load with her rope. 

Completion of a job well done.

The donkey, apparently recognizing that the loading of its burden was complete, headed over the rocks to the path with the woman running behind.

   

I stood there watching and continuing to take more pictures wondering about my role in this episode.  Was I of value to the woman and her donkey, or perhaps were this woman and her donkey of value to me?  How did it happen that I walked the half a mile to meditate, and my meditation had been interrupted by this experience?  Why?  Had I received an important message?

Yes, I am changing, slowly and gradually, realizing that I am not in charge of what I experience in life or what I do with my experiences.  I find myself accepting more of what I am being given and looking at how I can make the most of these opportunities. 

And as my friend Joasiah would say, be specific with your prayer request.  Then you will know what you are seeking and will receive specific answers as to where you will be going and how you will be traveling.

Much of my life has been spent in assisting others to become more effective.  My professional training has been focused on the need to be aware of the perspective of others.  However, I have always struggled with a strong belief that I had knowledge and experience that needed to be shared.  This can lead to assuming that my way is better than the other person’s.  My thoughts about the need for the woman to empty the barrels are a perfect metaphor for this approach.  Is this thinking process like swimming upstream when the logical and more organic choice is to follow the current (the perspective of the other person)? 

My experience with the lady and her donkey remind me of the need to trust these natural progressions.  The miracles of this story and its evolution give me much to learn and integrate.  All I need to do is “show up” on the river bank, and God’s way will be presented to me.  It is just that simple.  A melody emerges. Then the beauty of the symphony with its richness of textures, rhythms, and harmonies will organically grow into its own creation.

Thank you, God, for your illuminating lady and her donkey.