CEO Letter: My Iron Donkey

My grandpa died suddenly when I was 13, and my grandma moved in with us. I had a front-row seat to watching a grieving widow learn how to put one foot in front of the other as she started a new life without the man who had loved and cared for her since she was 19.

She ended up moving into a lovely senior neighborhood of duplexes, where I witnessed her reassembling her life, friends, and rhythms. She even learned how to pump her own gas for the first time. But years later, it was time for change again.

When we were helping her move into assisted living, she laid out a few shadow boxes full of small knick-knacks and invited her grandchildren to take some.

I chuckled when I saw the iron donkey tucked into one of those little shelves and decided to take that as a memento.

I imagined my grandpa, a man who could always find the joke in the moment, having fun with that donkey. He was very possibly even motivated to purchase the little guy because of the animal’s signature stubbornness and nicknames.

I put my new little memento on a shelf in my office and didn’t really pay much attention to him until this year. My vivacious three-year-old son, who one could say embodies the relentless resilience and inexhaustible strength of a donkey himself, became fascinated with donkeys this Easter.

He would often start his mornings searching for a little blue egg, excitedly pop it open to find a plastic donkey and scream: “The donkey—Jesus rode it into Jerusalem because He was KING!”

He would continue to belt multiple verses of a song called “Hosana,” while the rest of the family was still clinging to their coffee trying to wake up for the day.

So, to foster my son’s interest in donkeys, I’ve studied this unique animal and learned a lot from it.

First, kings would ride donkeys during times of peace. One of our five core values at GraceWorks is “Bring Peace.” While I can see how the small, humble stature of a donkey could embody peace, I began to wonder how the donkey’s signature stubbornness might relate to peace.

It turns out donkeys’ stubbornness really stems from a strong instinct to self-preservation. They will stop when they sense a threat and only move forward when they believe the threat has cleared. This caution and stubbornness protect them from threats that might end differently for their fearless brother—the horse.

Lastly, the donkey can far outpace a horse in endurance. They can carry heavy loads longer than a horse. They can simply go further with more.

So, maybe the donkey shows us that peace can require some stubborn characteristics. As we strive to bring peace, I pray we relentlessly protect the task God has entrusted us by proceeding with caution. I hope we cling to the confidence that God’s path, though it might come with heavier burdens and longer trails, will far outpace the worldly approach.

This past week has been tough for my grandma medically and mentally. She is 91, and I can see it getting harder for her to put one foot in front of the other. Her load is getting heavier and her endurance is near its end.

This is the reality for many of our neighbors when they come to GraceWorks—whether it is the burden of aging, the unexpected trials of life, or the difficult road of poverty, their loads are heavy.

My prayer for my grandma right now is much like my prayers for our neighbors—let them experience peace. Give them the endurance and the stubbornness to stay on God’s path.

Let’s follow the example of the donkey as we put one foot in front of the other.

After all, the Prince of Peace has already defeated all our pain and all our trials, and he started his journey to the cross on that little donkey.

Join me this week in praying for peace—peace over our neighbors, our community, and over the staff and volunteers at GraceWorks who seek to bring peace every day.

—Alicia