Posts Tagged: shake and stomp
SHAKE AND STOMP!
The story is told of a mule that somehow stumbled into an unused well.
The good news? The mule was, quite surprisingly, unhurt.
The bad news? The mule couldn’t get out.
More good news! The farmer found his captive mule very quickly.
Really bad news. The farmer couldn’t figure out any way to free his mule.
A bit of better news. The farmer went to his neighbor for advice and help.
More than a bit of bitter news. The neighbor couldn’t figure out any way to help get the mule out either. The farmers were very poor, and couldn’t afford a block and tackle, much less a crane.
They did, however, have a shovel apiece.
So, they made a very difficult decision: They decided to bury the poor beast.
But they soon found that burying the animal was harder than they had anticipated. When they threw a shovelful of dirt, the mule would simply shake it off and stomp.
Eventually, they had put so much dirt in the well that the mule gave one last shake, stomped, and stepped out of the well. He was dirty and (no doubt disgusted with the rescue method), but otherwise unharmed.
I doubt that the preceding story is factual, but I do think that it is true. Or, at the very least, it contains truth.
There are times when we all stumble around and fall into a well. We can’t figure out how to get out. (Getting in is always easier than getting out, isn’t it?)
Perhaps even those who mean well can’t figure out what to do to help us. But at least, they can give us a decent burial.
However, if we can shake off their well-meaning attempts to write us off as dead—if we shake and stomp—we may find that we can eventually get out of the well.
I’ve actually had people I love treat me as if I were dead. They have their reasons. I’ve given them reasons. I love them, but I have not always treated them in a loving manner. They have thrown shovelfuls of verbal abuse and silence on me.
However, I have shaken it off as best I can, and stomped. (I’m too stubborn to die without doing some stomping.)
Goodbye, well pit! Hello freedom!
Do you need to do some shaking and stomping today? You can’t always control what people or life throw at you or on you, but you can shake and stomp.
DOWN TO EARTH BELIEVER
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- “Searching for the Noble One” December 26, 2023My wife and I were reading Luke, chapter 2 on Christmas Day. Luke 2 talks about the shepherds being told to look for this very special child—in fact, this King—in a stable. I prefer the word “barn”. I grew up on a farm. I know what a barn is. A stable is entirely too biblical […]
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