Well of Trouble or Shaft of Light?

Don’t we all get discouraged when something unfair happens to us? Focusing on the ill treatment alone brings nothing but deeper despair, feelings of isolation, a stab of rejection. These are not wholesome emotions on which to dwell. When left to run havoc, they will do nothing but smother the life of joy and peace out of us.

I read an interesting analogy this week. I have heard the story before, as many of you may have, too, but the reminder is helpful to us all. The story goes like this: A farmer’s donkey fell down a well. The farmer tried to think of a way to get him out but no solutions came to mind. Finally, he told himself that the donkey was old and of no real use anymore, so he would just fill in the well. (Talk about unfair treatment!) He began to toss in shovelfuls of earth. The donkey brayed loudly as you can imagine, but after a while, no more sounds came from the well. The farmer assumed the donkey had been smothered but when he looked down into the well, he saw the donkey — standing on the pile of earth that he had shoveled in! As the soil was tossed down, the donkey shook it off his back and climbed up. The donkey was looking upwards throughout the ordeal. In other words, he focused on the light at the top of the well. Finally, with the well nearly full of earth, the donkey stepped out onto the land and trotted off to find some grass to munch.

I take great encouragement from this donkey in the well story. Its truth is rather poignant. We all get discouraged from unfair situations. Sometimes we get dirt thrown at us. We can focus on the troubles and do nothing more, or we can look up and step up. We can shake the dirt off our backs, focus on the light, and climb out of our well of gloom to munch on the good grass of God’s promises instead.

“Be truly glad because there is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for awhile. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

I Peter 1:6-7 NLT