Little Gray Donkey

(album: Classic Christmas - 1980)

(Oh, carry her safe to Bethlehem)
(Little gray donkey, tonight)
(A miracle rests on your four small feet)
(Little gray donkey, tonight)

You know, after six days of creating the world
The Lord has surely earned His seventh day of rest
For instance, take the day He created the animals
Just as He was about finished, He picked up one more piece of clay
After shaping it to His liking, He added a pinch of courage, a dab of humility, six grains of faithfulness
This one He made just a little bit ugly
But He gave it a big handful of solemn wisdom
Gave it a little pat, and sent it on its way

And then, upon a winter's day, and in the long ago
The dusty road to Bethlehem was trod by many feet
And in that throng, a donkey walked, a donkey small and gray
As donkeys plod their donkey days, in cold, or rain, or heat
No hand reached out to touch him as he went his donkey way
No scribe set down his donkey name for men unborn to say

No eye could see a radiance about this lowly one
Who plodded on to Bethlehem, with Mary, and God's Son

(Oh, carry her safe to Bethlehem)
Little gray donkey, tonight
(A miracle rests on your four small feet)
Little gray donkey, tonight

All Heaven is watching your mission divine
And, over a stable, a star waits to shine
While shepherds and wise men all look for the sign
Little gray donkey, tonight

A king will come, the prophets cried
A king will come, like no king has come before
On noble steed, with golden crown and silver trumpet-call

But on that silent, holy night
There was no pomp, no pride, in Bethlehem
The child-king came to Bethlehem upon a donkey small
A donkey old, and tired, and gray
With long and drooping ears
And no one dreamed he brought our world
The light of after-years

A donkey plodding through the dust
To see God's will was done
And, bearing on his rugged back, the Virgin
And God's Son

(Oh, carry her safe to Bethlehem)
Little gray donkey, tonight
(A miracle rests on your four small feet)
Little gray donkey, tonight

All Heaven is watching your mission divine
And, over a stable, a star waits to shine
While shepherds and wise men all look for the sign
(Little gray donkey) Blessed little donkey
God's little donkey, tonight