Sydney the Donkey and Muriel the sheep walked along the rough Egyptian road trying to keep up with the crowd. Everyone was all in a rush and upset and pushing and yelling ever since Moses finally got the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go and Moses had the Hebrew nation pack up everything and march toward to the Red Sea and to freedom.
“Well this was an unexpected trip.” Muriel said running a bit to keep away from the switch her master was using to keep the animals moving.
“What are you complaining about?” Sydney responded. “Look at all the junk I have on my back. They make me carry everything.”
“Well why don’t you just dump it on the road? You are a donkey, people expect you to be stubborn.” The helpful sheep advised.
“Well it’s not that bad. Besides that is what God created me to do and if it makes me useful, then I will have a place in the Promised Land.” Sydney said optimistically.
“What is that?’ Muriel asked.
“That is where we are going silly.” The donkey informed his friend. “This isn’t just a vacation trip you know. God did all those amazing miracles back there to get us out of slavery and to take His people to the Promised Land, which they say, is like paradise. This is the trip to get there Muriel. Pretty exciting huh?’ Sydney answered her.
“Oh oh, trouble.” Muriel remarked and she knew what she was talking about. Just ahead, the caravan came to the edge of the Red Sea and they were grinding to a halt. “This is terrible, Sydney” Muriel said in a panic. “Look at that river. You can’t even see the other side and it is churning and flowing. It must be a mile deep. Nobody can cross that. Look at Moses just staring at it. He didn’t have a plan for this. I knew it. This is just what the mistress of our family said all along. Moses should have left us in slavery. At least we wouldn’t be backed up to the sea ready to be slaughtered by Pharaoh’s army.” And then Muriel started to cry which is a pretty unpleasant thing to listen to a sheep do.
“Haven’t you been paying any attention all this time?” Sydney said nudging the weeping sheep so maybe she would stop crying. “Remember what God did to Pharaoh when he wouldn’t let us go? He sent plague after plague. The sun went out, the sea turned to blood, frogs and locusts covered the land. That was all God’s doing because he loves us so much, he couldn’t stand to see us in slavery.” The donkey said in his honking donkey voice.
“How do you know God will save us from this? This is hopeless. All of the humans are upset and panicking. If you are so smart, how come none of them know what you know?” Muriel said critically continuing to sniffle.
“Well, nobody asks a donkey what he thinks about things.” Sydney said sounding somewhat hurt that he was never consulted. “It is amazing to me the people of God continue to not trust Him. Look at all those miracles and through all of that, none of those horrible things happened to us. God kept the homes and land of His people from all the plagues. Even that last one where he killed the first born of every human and animal. God made sure our masters knew how to avoid that disaster. I am glad because my brother Melvin is the first born and I would have hated to see him go like that.”
Suddenly the panic in the crowd got much worse. The people were screaming, “Pharaoh’s army is right behind us. They are almost here!” The children running around crying and bumping in to things and being stepped on by the adults.
“Come here children” Sydney said to the panicking children. But all they heard was a “BRAY’ from his donkey face. But they seemed to understand because they hid under his legs to keep from being trampled.
“Any room for a sheep under there?” Muriel said shyly. Sydney scooted the five year old into her brother’s lap and Muriel snuggled in and all the children hugged her warm fir.
“Sydney, I am afraid.” Muriel said softly so the children wouldn’t cry.
“Get ready, Muriel. I don’t know what God is going to do but he won’t let his people die like this. God is faithful. He sent Moses from far away to save us from slavery. Some day a great Messiah will come and take all of his people to paradise. I hope that includes slightly smelly donkeys and scared little sheep like you Muriel.” The donkey laughed.
“Well, that is someday. For now the army of Pharaoh will be here any minute and I hear Egyptians like lamb stew quite a lot.” She said and then she started to cried again. The children started to cry because she was crying and everybody was upset.
“You have to trust in the faithfulness of God you silly sheep.” The donkey scolded. “Look, see at what Moses is doing?”
Muriel peeked around Sydney’s legs and when she did, the children peeked too. Because they were on a ridge, they could see Moses standing in front of the raging Red Sea facing it with his chest out. Then, he lifted his staff and spoke some words they could not make out. All of a sudden, the sea began to crash and twist and change and a valley opened up and pulled apart to make a huge pathway that was completely dry. Moses signaled and God’s people started crossing it to safety, to salvation and to the Promised Land.
“I am sorry I was such a big baby, Sydney.” Muriel apologized letting the youngest children ride on her back as they entered the parted sea. “You are my friend and you were right all along about God’s faithfulness.” She apologized.
“Well,” Sydney said warmly. “Its ok, I am used to it. After all, nobody ever asks the donkey.”
