Shake It Off
A couple of years ago I randomly came across a story. I read it and realized how impactful it was. At the time I had written about it - but now during this new season I thought it would be fitting to bring back to light. Buckle up, get some popcorn, this story might make you feel a thousand different ways. So here it is…
Once Upon A Time,
There was a farmer and his donkey. The donkey was walking ahead of his owner when he suddenly fell into a dry well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do for his poor donkey. Finally, he concluded that the well was too deep and it really needed to be covered up anyway. Besides the donkey was old and it would be a lot of trouble to get him out of the pit.
Sadly I am sure you know where this is going or do you…
The farmer decided that it was not worth trying to retrieve the animal so he asked his neighbors to help fill in the well and bury the donkey. They each grabbed a shovel and began to toss dirt into the well. The donkey immediately realized what was happening and he began to bray(cry) horribly. But after 10 minutes he got very quiet. A few shovel loads later the farmer looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw.
With every shovel of dirt that hit the donkeys back, the donkey would shake it off and step on top of it. As the neighbors and the farmer continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal he continued to shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon the donkey shook off the last shovel full of dirt took a step up and right out of the well.
Crazy, huh?
Here is a loaded question for you. Do you believe in miracles?
Most people define a miracle as something that is thought to be impossible that becomes possible…right? We tend to throw that word around…a lot. For instance, most would say it was a miracle that the donkey got out. It’s a miracle that you passed your classes. It’s a miracle that you are healthy.
Take a minute to shift your perspective on miracles. What if miracles are actually just blessings from God. That those moments are just God doing what God will always do.
God promises that he will always be there, help us and love us. Well, what if the one miracle we need is actually just a person making that promise/ covenant to God, and then continuing to stay on their path with God. Think about it. When that choice is made, nothing is to challenging for Him. Nothing is considered impossible. The big hurdle is over. You now let Him get to work in your life. Since, you know, God is a gentleman and waits for you to bring him into your life.
Mathew 19:26 says, ‘Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Our “miracles” are all just blessings that God is placing in our life. God is a God of miracles. Because your relationships with Him are a miracle.
Let’s quickly bring it back to the donkey. There is a lot to say about this donkey.
If we continue to cry or get frustrated about a situation then we will only be burying ourselves into a deeper pit. The miracle in this story is not that he got out of the well. The miracle is that the donkey stopped letting the enemy tease him with death and trusted God. I believe in that moment he put his covenant with God at work.
If we just took a minute, stopped, calmed down, and let God tell us what to do…then we can find a way out. God wants to help you shake it off; all of those bad feelings and insecurities, the medical problems you may have. Heck, even being stuck in quarantine.
Just like the donkey we need to learn how to shake off anything that’s in our way, in order to have a victorious life and relationship with God.
