SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP


A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. 
The mule fell into the farmer's well. The water 
wasn't very deep, so the mule could stand on the 
bottom. The farmer heard the mule praying - 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 neighbours 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 neighbours 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," the old mule 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 the well . 









 What seemed like it would bury him, actually helped 
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 very real potential to benefit us