I Missed You So Much

I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. Romans 1:11-12 (NIV)

I am always amazed with the relationships formed by humans and God’s creatures. It’s a love story that could only be written by Him. This one is no different. Jeanette Hanscome (All God’s Creatures) shares a heartwarming message of an abandoned donkey and a happy reunion.

*****

Leading a trip to Ireland with my friend Susy would not be complete without a visit to the Donkey Sanctuary in Liscarroll. We were eager to catch up with her friend Patrick (Susy wrote the book Sanctuary with him) and get a glimpse of Jacksie, the donkey Patrick had bottle-raised while recovering from addiction and PTSD.

I didn’t know until we arrived that Patrick hadn’t seen Jacksie in over two weeks. An emergency eye surgery required him to avoid dirt, which meant no contact with the donkeys. As soon as Jacksie heart Patrick calling him, he broke into loud brays. The image of him literally running into Patrick’s outstretched arms moved me to tears. I could almost hear Jacksie crying, “I missed you so, so much. Don’t ever leave me again.” I felt the depth of their bond—the abandoned donkey and the once-wounded man who’d spent long nights nursing him to health—as they reunited, oblivious to our phone cameras capturing the reunion.

I thought of the friend I reconnected with at a conference after a long season when both of us had endured separate trials and could only pray for each other from afar. I remember a sister in Christ who saw me through a hard transition and then moved away. One morning, after a difficult week, she made a surprise appearance as my ride to Bible study.

That moment at the Donkey Sanctuary reminded me that there is something special about friendships formed in hard times, especially when the bond includes mutual faith. We ache to be together, and when we finally can be, the reunion is sweet.

Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.  —Swedish proverb

We Are One in the Bond of Love

Loving Lord, thank You for all of creation. Our hearts melt when reunions are possible as we witness the depth and strength of the bond of love. Please help us recognize Your steadfast love that binds our relationships together. AMEN.

This is a real photo from the Donkey Sanctuary in Liscarroll, Ireland.