When Life Throws You Dirt

Not too long ago, I read “Lessons from a Donkey” on Facebook. To save time, I’ll give you a synopsis…a donkey fell in an old well and cried out until the farmer found him and pondered how to get him out. Eventually, with no viable solutions, the farmer decided that the well was dry, the donkey was old and the only thing to do was fill the hole and put the donkey out of its misery. So, he and few other farmers started shoveling dirt into the well. When the cries of the donkey stopped, the farmer peered in and found that with every shovel full of dirt, the donkey was shaking it off and stepping up onto the new mound of dirt! He reached the top and trotted off. 

Life is going to throw dirt at you, a LOT of dirt. But a truth we can take away from the donkey, is that with the right attitude, we can use the dirt (obstacles, difficult situations, disappointments) as a stepping stone to progress. Pastor has said for years, every level is another devil. You will never stop getting attacked, it’s Satan’s goal to never let up until he has you back. Every time you rise up, he WILL try to knock you down, but with our eyes on the prize, we can rise up and try again.  

Another lesson from the donkey is that it is crucial how we perceive our roadblocks. At first the donkey couldn’t believe the farmer would just let him die, but then he got a revelation that he could use that dirt which could have killed him to actually survive. Another of Pastor’s quips comes into play here…don’t curse your crisis. We can cry and let fear, anger, and disappointment suffocate us, or we can use those opportunities to learn and grow, allowing us to overcome adversity.  

When life throws you dirt, shake it off and figure out a way to use the dirt to your advantage.