Our staff does devotions together twice a week and this morning one of the teachers was sharing out of I Samuel 9. The primary focus of that story is Samuel anointing Saul as King. But that chapter has so much more to say to the busy, distracted, weary hearts of men and women scurrying around as this holiday season descends upon us.

The job of finding “dad’s donkeys” fell to Kish’s son, Saul. He was a handsome fellow, a head taller than anyone else, a prime candidate for a position of leadership. But his father, Kish wasn’t impressed by his appearance or leadership qualities, he needed his donkeys found.

So, Saul set out with a servant on this seemingly trivial, mundane task.

Many of my days (and maybe yours) seem like that too. I am accomplishing tasks, running errands, fulfilling responsibilities that never end and sometimes I wonder does all this “stuff” really matter?

Are we just “looking for donkeys?”

And that is precisely why we must read and study the Old Testament. It is so rich in meaning. These stories have countless “side words” of deep significance.

Yes, Saul was about the business of searching for his father’s donkeys, but in that pursuit, he learned so much and so much of God’s will was able to be fulfilled. As he trashed around the countryside looking for those animals, Saul was following an unmarked path towards God’s will.

He couldn’t have seen the significance at the moment, but such an important encounter was about to happen. Saul is going to get connected with Samuel and soon he will be anointed as God’s representative for Israel.

The mundane stuff of our lives has purpose too. That chance encounter at the grocery store might yield a sweet moment of encouragement (for you or them). That accidental meeting in the hallway of your office might be just the conversation someone needed.

We might not see the value of changing one more diaper, or signing one more document, or driving one more van full of kids to a soccer match, but the Lord does. The pattern of our days is indeed directed by Him.

As we go through our lives this season, I am encouraging us all (starting with me) to do more pausing and less hustling. To wait a bit and consider that the pursuit of the donkeys in my life might have meaning too. And I don’t want to miss the good stuff at the end.

Join me? Let’s go looking for some donkeys!