Shake the dust off

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule. The mule fell into the farmers 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 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! It was not 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.


Mt 13:14
"And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. "

I never understood the passages where disciples shook the dust off their feet, or the fact that Jesus instructed them to. Until this last week.

There has been a void in my life for many years, a scar left by a deep rejection. Instead of reaching and looking forward, much of my focus has been on the past.

Sometimes you just need to shake the pain away in order to move on to a new place.

It’s a symbolic letting go.


In Acts 13:51-52 they shook the dust off in one city and went to the next and found a receptive audience.

51 "But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost."

Joy and Holy Ghost were the result of shaking off the rejection of the past.

They traded doubt, fear, poor self esteem for, happiness and Devine favor.

Could it be that we are denying the blessing and favor of God by demanding universal acceptance?

Could it be that we are living life miserable when We could be experiencing great joy?

If Jesus was not universally liked and accepted, why do we demand complete acceptance along the way?

You might cry, they ought to love, accept and embrace me!

Jesus came unto his own and his own received him not!








He shook the dust off and went and found someone who was hungry.

Paul shook the dust off when rejected by the Jews, and turned the gentile world upside down.

In a world of over 6 billion people, mourning over a few who have rejected you isn't worth the effort. It ties you to a past event that you have no power to change.

In sales you have to shake the dust off every time you are rejected or you will miss the next sale.

In your world shake the dust off, do what you were called to do.

Shake the dust off of bad decisions...

Relationships gone bad...shake the dust off



Take control of your life and put hope in your tomorrows.


Shake the dust off and step up!



Lm




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