Stop beating the donkey

In the Bible there is a story about a stubborn donkey which eventually turns out to be a very wise donkey with a stubborn horseman on its back. Stick with me - this will be increasingly interesting, promise!
 
The donkey can speak and is asking Balaam, who was riding her, why she is being beaten. Balaam was indeed beating her like mad, because he wanted to have his way. He perceived the donkey as stubborn, since she had refused three times to go forward. But actually in the story, the donkey sees something Balaam doesn’t see: an angel of God, blocking the way in order to prevent the man from making a huge mistake. And the donkey starts to speak to Balaam. As soon as the eyes of the man are opened to see the angel, he perceives the spiritual dimension he had missed before, he repents, listens to the divine message, and makes real progress. And the donkey is honored for her perception of good. (See the book of Numbers, Chapter 22).
 
​It occured to me that we are often like Balaam, and that we can learn how to better with Balaam. You could say that the stubborn resistance of things not going according to plan is like a donkey not moving according to plan. And instead of attempting to see the blessing in store for us we resist and beat the donkey. Beating a donkey is like insisting on complaining and grumbling and insisting on our right of way. So what is really stubborn is our ego:
 
Mary Baker Eddy writes:
„The nature of the individual, more stubborn than the circumstance, will always be found arguing for itself, — its habits, tastes, and indulgences. This material nature strives to tip the beam against the spiritual nature; for the flesh strives against Spirit, — against whatever or whoever opposes evil, — and weighs mightily in the scale against man's high destiny.“ (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 119)
 
And here is the practical advice from her, helping us to move forward with joy and confidence: „The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.“ (Science and Health, p. 574)
 
This sounds like Balaam’s experience, right? He discovers that his ego fights God’s tender guidance – and he discovers that God helps us to overcome it. By sending an angel our way. The very circumstance he resists carries actually an angel message. The circumstance which seems like a stubborn donkey to us can be an undiscerning boss, an uncooperative team worker (or child or spouse), a wait loop, a broken glass on the kitchen floor, a missed plane. A stubborn donkey can be anything that interrupts the normal flow of our day. Whatever circumstance it is – there is an angel waiting to be seen by us.
 
​So can we stop to beat the donkey and see the angel?​
​ 
St. Paul thought so. He writes:
 
„Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.“ (Phil. 2: 14, 15​)
 
So lets watch out for the angel message as we honor divine Love's care at every step - and embrace with confidence spiritual authority today.
 
How about stopping to beat a donkey – and hug a donkey in stead?
 
Hug a donkey today!