Shake the Dirt Off That Life Throws at You

One day a farmers donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway. It just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. 

He invited all of his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyones amazement he quieted down. 

A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake off and take a step up. 

As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel the dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off! 

Moral:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never give up! Shake it off and take a step up.
**I don't know the author of this story. If you do please let me know so I can give them credit for their story**


I read this little story on Facebook the other day and it stuck with me. I generally just scroll past those little posts that have 10-million likes and 1-billion shares. They kinda clog my feed. But I stopped at this one. The simple message of this story resonated with me.

Have you ever found yourself laying at the bottom of a deep well? Not a physical well but and emotional well. You know those deep, dark pits that seem to swallow you up out of no where and seem to lack hand grips or a life line to pull yourself out with? Have you ever found yourself sitting and waiting and calling out for help to get out of that well with no response or relief?

I have found myself in these sort of wells, pits and funks before. I have learned that sometimes those hard knocks that knock you down the well in the first place can be really hard to recover from and sometimes hard knocks and the dirt that comes with it can seem to continue piling on top of  you without relief. Its like being buried alive.

I hate when life is suffocating. When the dirt of life piles on and begins weighing heavy.   But like this little donkey, it is up to us to shake off the dirt, find strength our our only life line, Jesus, and take a step up.
With each step up we grow stronger.
With each step up we find forgiveness.
With each step up we find freedom from that well.

Today I choose to be like this little donkey. I will choose to shake off the dirt that is thrown on my back, find strength in Jesus to lift my weary legs heart and take a STEP UP.