PERSEVERENCE: Shake it off!

"Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; Knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience."

James 1:2-3 [ASV]

A parable is told of a farmer who owned a mule who accidentally fell into an old uncovered well. After carefully assessing the situation, the farmer decided neither the mule nor the well was worth saving; so, he called his neighbors to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well.

At first, the mule was hysterical. But then it occurred to him that every time a shovel of dirt hit his back he could shake it off and step up. So, he did – shovel full after shovel full.

“Shake it off; step up,” he repeated to himself. “Shake it off; step up.” It wasn't long before the old mule stepped triumphantly over the top to safety. The dirt he thought would bury him turned out to be a blessing.

Whenever life throws dirt on you, do what the old mule did ... “Shake it off and step up.”

[Laughlines by Skai Rusis; 11/13/99; edited for publication)]

Christianity, Illustrations,
Perseverance, Religion