Good one...I liked this one!
Rhonda

-----Original Message-----
From: The Electronic Church [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of April Reisinger
Sent: Friday, June 23, 2006 1:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Shake It Off

Hope this will help and bless some of you when you are in situations where 
you feel there is no way out or it is difficult to find.

SHAKE IT OFF 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 just kept right on SHAKING IT OFF AND STEPPING UP!

You're right! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, 
STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL! What seemed like it would 
bury him, actually blessed him...all because of the manner in which he 
handled his adversity.

THAT'S LIFE! If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and 
refuse to give in to panic, bitterness, or self-pity...THE ADVERSITIES THAT 
COME ALONG TO BURY US USUALLY HAVE WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL TO BENEFIT AND 
BLESS US! Remember that FORGIVENESS -- FAITH -- PRAYER --

PRAISE and HOPE...all are excellent ways to "SHAKE IT OFF AND STEP UP"

out of the wells in which we find ourselves!

-- Author Unknown

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"God is still on the throne!"
April and Miss Flurrie