One day a farmer heard the distressed cry of a donkey and discovered it had fallen into an abandoned well. The farmer struggled to pull the donkey out but was unsuccessful. The farmer felt there was nothing he could do to save the donkey so he decided to fill the well with dirt and put the donkey out of its misery. He asked his neighbors for help and they all grabbed a shovel and began to fill the well with dirt.
At first, when the dirt hit the donkey’s back, the donkey became frantic and cried out in despair. But here is where the donkey teaches us a remarkable lesson. Instead of giving up, the donkey began to shake the dirt off it’s back. With each shovel of dirt that landed on the donkey, he shook it off and rose a little higher. To the surprise of everyone, the donkey managed to step out of the well and trot away, free and happy.
Instead of seeing the dirt as a setback, the donkey saw it as a stepping stone. We can also view our challenges as opportunities for growth. James 1:2-4 encourages us to consider trials as joy, knowing they produce endurance. If the donkey hadn’t endured, there would be a totally different ending to this familiar story.
Let’s face it, life is going to throw dirt at us and attempt to bury us in the world’s never ending well of confusion and chaos. But no one ever gets out of a well by giving up. So like the donkey, let’s shake off the dirt and use it as stepping stones, knowing that God is always near and ready to help us turn our obstacles into blessings.
#WednesdayWisdom ❤️
