“So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires.”

(Galatians 5:16-17a NLT)

When Minnie, our miniature donkey arrived we were excited to meet the new member of our livestock family.  Within a short time however, we realized that something was wrong with her feet. Her hooves all pointed slightly upward, instead of facing down. This caused her to walk on the tender flesh of the back of her legs.  We called the farrier immediately but he was not encouraging when he saw the problem. 

Next a multitude of x-rays, revealed that Minnie’s leg bones were deformed, which in turn was causing her to not be able to stand flat upon her hooves. The vet sent the x-rays to a bone specialist who verified the findings and said there was nothing to be done and perhaps euthanasia was the kindness option.  After much thought and prayer, we decided to keep her and give her a chance.

We had the farrier return and he cut the toes of her hooves very short.  He continued to return every month to do the same thing.  Minnie’s walk began to slowly improve.  The children and I continued to pray.  Now, six months later, somehow, someway, Minnie is walking and running and leaping like any healthy normal donkey. The farrier is mystified, but I am not.

Romans 3:23 states: “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” (NLT)

Each and every one of us, before we come to know Christ, has a crooked or deformed spiritual nature.  Once we commit our lives to Jesus however, then and only then, is our crooked nature able to realize healing transformation, through Christ’s Holy Spirit who indwells all believers. His Spirit begins to take that which is crooked within us and straighten it out. Through his power, somehow, someway, he is not only able to guide us to do God’s good and perfect will, he is also able to give us desires which are the opposite of what our sinful nature desires.  The crooked becomes straight.

We don’t know just how Minnie’s deformity is being made straight.  We are just grateful that it is happening.  Just as I, and all God’s people, should be thrilled and grateful for the transformation His Spirit is making in our spiritual lives, each and every day as we endeavour to follow our Lord.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for the transforming work of your Holy Spirit within us.  May we always yield to His guidance.  In Christ’s name. Amen.

Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada