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| 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 distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought "panic" and just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like would bury him, actually blessed him... all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. |
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| God always knows what we need and what is best for us. Even though we don't always understand why some things happen; God has a reason. Sometimes God must put adversity in our pathway to make us stonger. How we deal with that adversity will determine how much we grow and learn. No matter what may come against us in this life, we must trust God and face our problems and respond to them positively, If we will just put all our faith in the Lord and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity, then... THE ADVERSITIES THAT COME ALONG THAT WE THINK WILL SURELY BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND BLESS US! |
| No matter how painful the blows, or distressing the situation you must fight the "panic" and keep right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP! |
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| Created on April 9,2003 |
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