몽골 목장

조엘 오스튼 목사님 글을 읽다가 마음에 큰 감동이 있어서 나누고 싶었는데 어떻게 하다보니까 인터넷에서 그 이야기를 찾을 수 있네요. 원래 있었던 이야기인가 봅니다.  참 오래간 만에 목장 블로그에 들어왔습니다. 심지어는 패스워드가 잘 생각이 나지 않을 정도였으니...

아래 이야기처럼 우리 삶가운데 어려움이 닥쳐올때 "Shake off and step up" 할 수 있는 우리 모두가 되었으면 합니다. 힘주시는 이도 하나님이시고, 승리하게 하시는 이도 하나님이시니 우리가 믿음으로 나아가기 원합니다.

많은 시간 부정적인 생각으로 힘들때가 많습니다.  조바심이 날때도 있습니다. 걱정이 내 머리속을 가득 탁하게 가득 매우고 있는 것 같은 느낌이 들기도 합니다.  그때마다 생각하기 원합니다.

"shake off and step up"  

내 마음속에 부정적인 생각, 의심, 걱정은 떨쳐버리고 믿음으로 한걸음 더 나아갑니다.

Farmer and the Mule

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule somehow 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 were 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 the Mule. 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!

It was not long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, STEPPED TRIUMPHANTLY OVER THE WALL OF THAT WELL.

What seemed like a situation that 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!

We must remember 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. Contributed By: Seena Mathe