Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Pit Experiences (from the donkeys point of view)

Of course our womens study group topic Get Out Of That Pit, has my mind revolving around types and examples because I love using everyday stuff to point the way to Gods principles at work in our lives...Go figure..Its how I am wired really and actually it is something I enjoy about my life. I just hope I don't drive my loved ones into cross-eyed, brain shutting down, stupors by using it too often in their lives.
The one I have landed on today is a fable I heard that goes something like this:
There was a farmer who had donkey who fell into a pit. There didn't appear to be any way to pull him up and out of the pit. It was narrow with crumbly sides and even the neighbors who by now had gathered said they could not get a rope and harness around him! Now the donkey was old and barely worth what it took to feed him so the farmer made the rather difficult decision to bury him alive! (the story doesn't say so, but I wonder if this one was like Balaam's donkey and had a God given ability to understand things we wouldn't expect a donkey to understand).
The farmer and his neighbors began to toss shovel full after shovel full of dirt over their shoulders into the pit. No one wanted to actually watch what was happening to the donkey. It was just too terrible even if it was "necessary".
Finally the farmer turned to check the progress and to his surprise the donkey walked right out of what had once been his pit! Seems that each time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back, he shook it off and stomped it down until he was near enough to the top to climb out! Smart little donkey! And we hear them referred to as dumb...

So all of us who are at least as smart as a donkey can draw some parallels from this I would suppose. God has many ways to assist us out of the pit, but seems from this sometimes it could be through the unwitting help of our enemies. We can use the stuff thrown at us to climb a little higher sometimes. To press into the Most High and get His perspective. Soon. Maybe it isn't soon enough to suit us or maybe we get kind of messy in the process but SOON we will find ourselves walking out of the pit meant to bury us and living a life that gives God glory and is that abundant life place He tells us about in His word.
Today if you have some stuff thrown at you that threatens to bury you alive stomp it under your feet and reach higher to the One who made you and loves you with His life. He's reaching out for you.

5 comments:

  1. THANK YOU!! There has been stuff going on with a friend and I am definitely in the pit right now. Your post speaks to me today!!

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  2. I remember the first time I heard this parable it had me in tears. It gave me hope! Praying for you today Amy

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  3. Thanks Lea! I'm praying that God is using my (possible) enemies to bring me closer to Him. I need to rely on Him only, because He has already won. The battle is not mine to fight, it has already been done through Jesus. Keep writing Lea!! :)

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  4. Mom, half way through that story I didn't know if I could finish! The picture of people giving up on this sad old donkey was just abit too much for me!! So glad he didn't get burried alive.. Good analogy though on stuff thrown on us and using it to get out.. i can just picture the donkey being sparked with hope as it saw dirt coming down to climb out of the hole, Im hoping that was its thoughts and not taking on the "here's my end, no point in living"mentality.. anyways! Im thinking way to much about this haha , i dont get tired of your connecting stories to other things.. keep them coming =)

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  5. There are variations to the story but in all of them the donkey climbs out. I think I tend to have my moments of seeing the downside of things but hope I would take the donkeys approach

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