Shake It Off And Step Up

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule.
The mule fell into the farmer's well.
The farmer heard the mule "braying" -
or whatever mules do when they fall into wells.

After carefully assessing the situation,
the farmer sympathized with the mule,
but decided that neither the mule
nor the well was worth the trouble of saving.
Instead he called his neighbors together and
told them what had happened...
and enlisted them to help haul dirt
to bury the old mule in the well
and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical!
But as the farmer and his neighbors
continued shoveling
and the dirt hit his back ...
a thought struck him.
It suddenly dawned on him
that every time a shovel load of dirt
landed on his back ...

HE SHOULD SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP!

This he did blow after blow.
"Shake it off and step up ...
shake it off and step up ...
shake it off and step up!"
he repeated to encourage himself.
No matter how painful the blows,
or distressing the situation seemed,
the old mule fought "panic" and kept

SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

It was not long before the old mule,
battered and exhausted,

STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL
OF THAT WELL

What seemed would bury him, actually blessed him...
because of the manner in which he
handled his adversity

Sometime we have to say in the name of the Lord,

SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP

when nobody is there to encourage us!