A parable is told of a farmer A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule.who owned an old mule.

Unfortunately, Unfortunately, one day the one day the mule fell into mule fell into the old well.the old well.

The old farmer The old farmer heard the mule heard the mule braying,braying,

(or whatever mules do (or whatever mules do when they fall in a when they fall in a well.)well.)

And after carefully And after carefully assessing the assessing the situation, the situation, the farmer farmer sympathized with sympathized with the mule, but…. the mule, but….

..decided that ..decided that neither the mule or neither the mule or the well was worth the well was worth the trouble of saving. the trouble of saving. Instead he called his Instead he called his neighbors together neighbors together and told them what and told them what happened.. And happened.. And enlisted them to help enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well old mule in the well and put him out of and put him out of his misery.his misery.

Initially, the old Initially, the old mule was panic-mule was panic-stricken! But as stricken! But as the farmer and his the farmer and his neighbors neighbors continued continued shoveling and the shoveling and the dirt continued to dirt continued to hit his back… a hit his back… a thought struck thought struck him.him.

It suddenly It suddenly dawned on him dawned on him that every time a that every time a shovel load of dirt shovel load of dirt landed on his landed on his back..back..

HE SHOULD HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP! AND STEP UP!

This he did, blow This he did, blow after blow..after blow..

Shake it off and Shake it off and step up..step up..

Shake it off and Shake it off and step up..step up..

Shake it off and Shake it off and step up..step up..

He repeated time He repeated time after time to after time to encourage encourage himself. himself.

No matter how No matter how painful the painful the blows, or blows, or distressing the distressing the situation situation seemedseemed

The old mule The old mule fought off panic fought off panic and just kept and just kept right onright on

SHAKING IT SHAKING IT OFF OFF

AND STEPPING AND STEPPING UP!UP!

And you’re right.. And you’re right.. It wasn’t long It wasn’t long before that old before that old mule, battered mule, battered and exhausted, and exhausted,

STEPPED STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL!OF THAT WELL!

What seemed at What seemed at first like it would first like it would bury him, bury him, actually blessed actually blessed him…him…

All because of the All because of the manner in which manner in which he handled his he handled his adversity.adversity.

If we face our If we face our problems and problems and respond to respond to them them positively..positively..

And refuse to And refuse to give into panicgive into panic

BitternessBitterness

Or Or

self-pityself-pity

USUALLY USUALLY HAVE HAVE WITHIN WITHIN THEM THE THEM THE POTENTIAL POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT TO BENEFIT AND BLESS AND BLESS US!US!