There’s an old fable about a donkey that fell into a dry well. The owner couldn’t figure out how to get the donkey out, but since he’d been intending to cover the well he started shovelling dirt into it. The donkey soon realized what was happening and began to bray piteously. Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later the owner looked into the well and was astonished to see the donkey still standing on the floor level. Then he realized what was happening. With every shovel load that hit his back, the donkey would shake it off and take a step up. Finally, he stepped over the edge and trotted away.
The message is that when life shovels dirt on us the trick is to shake it off and take a step up. The Bible says it’s our troubles that make us mature. So let’s make them our stepping stones.