Flash ~ Rachel Anne Ridge

Title: Flash

Author: Rachel Anne Ridge

Forward By: Priscilla Shirer

Genre: Animals, Religious aspects-Christianity, Human-animal relationships, Donkeys, Self-Help

Original Language: English

Flash- The Homeless Donkey Who Taught Me about Life, Faith, and Second Chances is the story of a cute donkey and his adopted family.

This is a true story in the words of Rachel Anne Ridge who gave the donkey she found on the road a name, a shelter and a loving family. In return, the donkey gave her insights into her day to day being and life lessons all the while being well! a donkey and Hee-Hawing whenever he felt like it.

As soon as I picked the book randomly at the local library, I got an urge to take this donkey home and explore how exactly does a donkey (who I assumed wouldn’t know English as it is a true story) give faith and life lessons to a woman (who I assumed again wouldn’t understand donkey language as it is a true story.)Well! I wasn’t disappointed. Flash did bring flashes of smile on my face while I dug into this book.

The Forward written by Priscilla Shirer, who happens to be Rachel’s friend and an admirer of Flash caught me by surprise. I immediately liked the book even before starting it. I’ll quote her here:

“Good books are like good friends- difficult to find. Many can look promising at the beginning, only to disappoint somewhere down the line. Even when a book is recommended by a person you trust, you can never be sure you’ll experience the same connection, that the two of you will hit it off.

Yet sometimes-often for reasons you can’t quite put a finger on-you choose to open it up, and open yourself up to it. And every now and then, you’re surprised and thankful at the warmth, the joy, the excitement and pleasure you discover inside.”

I loved it.

A sweet story of an unconventional hero and a gentle reminder to how we sometimes don’t give enough credit to animals and how much we can learn from them once we get to know their silent language. Rachel found answers to questions that we all struggle finding in our lives. Even though they may be embedded inside our psyche, we occasionally need someone to tickle those and bring them out so we can find ourselves. That someone was a donkey for Rachel.

Flash is portrayed as a charming and endearing character even though Donkeys have long been labeled “stubborn” and “ornery” and “difficult”. This book goes beyond such stereotypes and advocates being a “visual learner” where one can connect the dots and find answers within themselves. The story of this donkey and the family that took him in changed the perspective of the author. She believes that God shows up in unexpected ways and if we are aware we can listen to the wisdom bestowed upon us. The “Donkey” here is being portrayed as an occurrence, an opportunity to experience God’s love and care.

We need to relax and think if we had our “donkey in the driveway” moments that we may have overlooked. Can we be more aware of such moments and make way for ourselves? Are we in the moment enough to see these subtle directions being given, a path shine before our eyes when we may be in total darkness?

To sum up, I loved this poignant book where a stray donkey who was able to revive the spiritual life of a family without uttering a word. The writing is very honest, comical in a good way, opportune in the sense that it feels good and gives a fresh perspective of things. It takes a good storyteller to give you eyes to see beyond the words and Rachel Anne Ridge surely gives glimpses of revelation and hope mixed with lots of humor and authenticity. It is a delightful read.

Spoiler Alert: I would like to mention certain incredible lessons Rachel shared in her book:

Remember your name ~ know whose you are

Know where to find refuge ~ true sanctuary is found in God alone

Run with horses ~ the pursuit of excellence conquers fear

Find your passion ~ passion leads to purpose

Be a trailblazer ~ persistence makes pathways for grace to follow

Wear your donkey heart on your sleeve ~ a well lived life is an authentic life

Stand where fruit is falling ~ the secret of abundance is in choosing gratitude

Be a service animal ~ you are made to serve in love

Embrace change ~ don’t let fear of the unknown keep you from moving forward

Make things right with others ~ don’t miss your chance to forgive, accept, and love

Your journey isn’t about fixing donkey problems ~ its about transformations.