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 the mule's 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 shaking it off and stepping up!
Of course, you've guessed it. 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 have within them the potential to benefit and
bless us!
author unknown
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.