Shake It Off!

March 3, 2012

One spring day, Farmer Green's donkey fell into a well. The animal brayed loudly as Mr. Green tried to figue out a solution. He finally decided that since the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway, it just wasn't worth it to rescue the donkey.

He recruited his neighbors to help, and together they all grabbed shovels and began to toss dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and wailed louder. After several minutes, however, he quited down. The neighbors were amazed at how quiet the animal had become.

Farmer Green finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit the donkey's back, the animal did something incredible. He shook the dirt off and took a step up.

As Farmer Green's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, the donkey continued to shake it off and step up. It wasn't long until the donkey was able to step up over the edge of the well and simply trot off.

We can't go through life without having some dirt tossed on us. Every single one of us will experience trials and lonliness. When life tosses dirt in your path, you have a choice: Let it bury you alive, or shake it off and step forward. Try to view your problems as stepping stones. If you so choose, you can actually learn from your trials.

When I first read this devotional this afternoon, it really spoke to me. We all have some kind of weight bearing down on us. And I completely understand how this feels. But, sometimes, wether we want to face the truth or not, we have to shake it off and start over. It can be really hard sometime to just shake off whatever it is that's on your heart, but it can also be the best thing for you. Pray about it, and just try to do what God wants you to do. You won't regret it.

Know it! --- You can't escape troubles, but you can become stronger through each one. The next time you're faced with a problem, go straight to God. Stop focusing on the why and start looking for the lesson.

Read it! --- 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
                James 1:1-4
                1 Peter 1:6-7

Pray it! --- When you're dealing with a problem, ask God to help you see how to learn from it, move ahead, and trust him more. <3