Flash: The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me about Life, Faith, and Second Chances

Flash: The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me about Life, Faith, and Second Chances doesn’t seem like a typical read for me. If you’re an animal lover as I am, you might be willing to give it a chance; if you’re not, you probably feel like it would be a waste of your time. Please hear me—it’s worth every minute you take to read it!

Written by Rachel Anne Ridge, this is the story of a struggling family of five who find a wounded, dirty, and frightened donkey on their driveway one evening. They end up giving him a home when no one claims him, but what they come to find out is they need him far more than he needs them. Who would think a donkey would be a life-changer?

Due to the circumstances of her life at that time, Rachel finds herself going through an identity crisis, admitting that “somehow, in the busyness of the kids’ activities, work, cooking, paying the bills, and trying to juggle it all, I’d stopped paying attention to my spiritual life. Prayer had become little more than accusations and pleas for help, addressed to a God somewhere up there. Time spent listening for Him, or reading His Word, was nonexistent. Why bother? Focusing on myself, my problems, and my solutions, I had let the connection with my Maker go cold.”

Her experience is not unique. We all get busy with obligations and stresses and, oftentimes God gets pushed away or neglected in the process. He is no longer our priority, so we face our challenges alone, making things so much harder on ourselves. How God draws Rachel back to Him is distinctive—He gives her family Flash, but his story isn’t about a lost donkey. It’s about “heart change. It’s about transformation. It’s about God showing up and making us new. Lost donkeys. God’s purposes. A date with destiny.”

Rachel states, through Flash’s example, they “learned how to live abundantly in our circumstances, with gratitude and joy. He reminded us to keep breaking down fences to find our passion, and we learned to run with horses and find satisfaction through serving others with love. He taught us to wear our donkey hearts on our sleeves and open up to the world around us. He reminded us to not be afraid of change . . . to let go of the past and embrace possibilities. His donkey trails pointed out that our plodding was really going somewhere after all. He showed us how to make the most of the days we are given. Such priceless lessons.”

Throughout the book, Rachel shares verses that are meaningful to her in each step of this journey, such as “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you (Psalm 32:8),” “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9),” and “Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17).” These verses are worth memorizing to make them our own.

God uses Flash to teach Rachel about choosing gratitude, overcoming insecurities, savoring the not knowing, perseverance, faith as a lifestyle, embracing change, and the pursuit of excellence. One point she makes that especially touched me is in reference to Ephesians 4:2: “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love,” explaining, “We are imperfect creatures, all of us. What a shame to waste our time on trivial differences and self-made rules rather than savoring forgiveness and love and enjoying the richness they bring. We should take someone’s hand. We should look our loved ones in the eyes. We should hold a gaze and say the words ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘I was wrong’ and ‘I forgive you.’ We should. We must. And we must also say the words ‘I love you’ while we still can. This time may be the last chance we’ll ever have, but we won’t know it until it is gone. Don’t miss it.”

I’ve lived long enough to know God doesn’t waste anything in our lives. He allows situations, circumstances, people, and even donkeys to teach us and draw us closer to Him. The lessons in Rachel’s story are valuable, and as I wrestle with my own issues, I’m thankful for her transparency and honesty—I can identify with so many of her struggles. I have a feeling her wisdom and experiences will stay with me for a very long time.

Blessings to you!
Lori 

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