Sunday, March 31, 2013

Life in 3D

I really wish you were sitting next to me in church today, starting our new journey.  I prayed all day that God spoke through someone to you to put the possibility of forgiveness and understanding in your heart.  It was hard to be there alone, surrounded by so many loving families, knowing that I created this situation.  Then again, I would not have been in church if it was not for the rock bottom places that I hit after losing you. 

This is the story that was told at Easter service today -


 
The Farmer's Donkey: A Fable for Our Time
 
One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out a way to get him out. Finally he decided it was probably impossible and the animal was old and the well was dry anyway, so it just wasn't worth it to try and retrieve the donkey. So the farmer asked his neighbors to come over and help him cover up the well. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, when the donkey realized what was happening he cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement, he quieted down and let out some happy brays. A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked down the well to see what was happening and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was shaking it off and taking a step up. (Shifting)
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he continued to shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, to everyone's amazement, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Moral: Life is going to shovel dirt on you. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Every adversity can be turned into a stepping stone. The way to get out of the deepest well is by never giving up but by shaking yourself off and taking a step up.
What happens to you isn't nearly as important as how you react to it.