| A parable is told of a
farmer who owned an
old mule. The mule fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule 'braying' -or- whatever mules do when they fall into wells. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer sympathized with the mule, but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened ...and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery. Initially, the old mule was hysterical! But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back ... a thought struck him. It suddenly dawned on him that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back ... HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!This he
did, blow after
blow.
"Shake
it off and step up...shake it off and
step up... shake it off and step
up!" He
repeated to encourage himself. No matter how
painful the blows, or how distressing the
situation seemed the old mule fought "panic"
and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND
STEPPING UP!
It
wasn't long
before the old mule, battered
and exhausted, STEPPED
TRIUMPHANTLY OVER
THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What
seemed like it would bury him, actually
blessed him... all because of the manner in
which he handled his
adversity.
THAT'S
LIFE!
If
we face our problems and respond to them
positively, and refuse to give in to panic,
bitterness, or self-pity...
THE
ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG TO BURY US
USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO
BENEFIT AND BLESS US! Remember
that
FORGIVENESS, FAITH,
PRAYER, PRAISE and
HOPE... all are
excellent ways to "SHAKE IT
OFF AND STEP UP" out of
the wells in which we find
ourselves! |
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