Rachel Anne Ridge has carefully taken the ordinary and woven them into extraordinary tales learned in lessons from "Flash" and applied them to her life and ours, both in the spiritual and relational aspects. She captures our hearts as she journals how "Flash" came into her family's life and became family, making us almost want to go out to rescue and get us a donkey ourselves to experience this firsthand. Rachel Anne has a gift of writing humorously and interestingly, illustrating with words each scene so we can clearly imagine them, among her other gifts of artistic nature and beyond. She inspires us to look and "find God in everyday moments" (a webcast that she, Priscilla Shirer and Flash shared) and relates to us honestly "wearing her donkey heart on her sleeve". Rachel is real (bar none) and doesn't hold back.
I laughed out loud at her vivid descriptions of Flash's antics and wiped away tears welling up in my eyes as I identify with the lessons that Rachel stirs up that strikes a chord deep within me too. In retrospect through each of the 11 lessons depicted in the 13 chapters of this book, I no longer can select just one because it's the composite of ALL of these that make "Flash" all he is and all we can be by grabbing on to his spot-on lessons that Rachel has craftily assembled as we read: knowing whose we are, knowing where to find refuge and finding our sanctuary in God alone, pursuing excellence to conquer fear, finding our passion which leads to purpose, becoming a trail blazer with persistence making pathways for grace to follow, living a well lived life as an authentic life, choosing gratitude by standing where the fruit is falling to learn the secret of abundance, serving others in love, embracing change and moving forward fearlessly, making the most of each chance to make things right through forgiving, accepting and loving, making our life journey not about fixing our "donkey" problems but being transformed by them (
my paraphrases of Flash's 11 Lessons). Of course, every "
unexpected guest" in our life was chosen to pass through our life for a reason in each season, if we carefully examine God's plan and listen carefully to the lesson. I'm not focusing so much on the
arrival of this "unexpected guest" as the book descriptions tell about instead I am leaning in closer to God's heart and voice through Flash and Rachel, with the my
departure being what I take away and make mine. How can a wounded, abandoned donkey change me?
The
book's description fills us in adequately on the background of this shaggy, wounded, lost donkey's arrival showing up on the Ridge's driveway yet more importantly accepted in their hearts and lives but no description can ever complete better what the author has vividly depicted in living color of the impact of "
entertaining angels unaware" as in Hebrews 13:2 of strangers that just show up. Not that I'm comparing "Flash" to an angel, but he still is a "messenger", a gift given by God, at just the right inconvenient time, to convey some much needed messages and perhaps entangle the Ridge's life with some unnecessary "messes" as Rachel has penned for us in the lessons that even we can take to heart. Like or unlike Biblical and other donkeys, Flash comes into our lives, through Rachel, with a unique purpose through these messages. Maybe "Flash" isn't the glorious "angel" aware or unaware, but because of Rachel, God has met me in the pages of their book through Flash and her words, her message, her gift ... a "Flash" of God's!
Reading all the well deserved accolades and endorsements from other more 'famous' people than I, certainly speaks well for Rachel and Flash, with each one giving an accurate truth of this entertaining and purposeful addition to your reading collection of books, so "Flash" and Rachel did not need me or my review, as much as I needed them. "Flash" is easy, endearing and enjoyable to read, making it so hard to put down (so of course, I had to read straight through to the end and still want more). Although I read "Flash" as a digital copy, I loved the photos and glossy cover of "Flash" front and back, but in between while reading, I was amused with two of these ^^ to break between tales (tails) --- no, they're not tails, they are representative of those silly, long ears (I think) that mark this sweet 'adopted' donkey not as an art fixture in their family's acreage but truly as a warm part of their life and hearts. Rachel (Tom and family) have a gift and make an impression upon us to last a lifetime (not just artistically or literally but spiritually) in the way they open their hearts and life to an "unexpected guest" showing us that interruptions can become opportunities ... inconveniences most certainly can be used by God and insignificant moments might be a chance to see the simple things of life as miracles in the making!
Personally for me, this is the most delightful book I've just totally enjoyed in quite a while.
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