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Faith and Inspiration

And God whispers...

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The elderly couple lived on a little farm way out in the country.

They owned this bag of bones mule that was getting a little long in the tooth. Having seen its better days sometime in the previous millennium, the mule usually stood dozing in the meager shade of a dead tree in their front yard, half-heartedly swatting flies with his tail.

The old lady pestered her husband all spring to get his bony butt out of his rocking chair, hitch up the mule and plow the garden. Well, the old man, as is the nature of old men everywhere, would sit there rocking away and puffing on his corncob pipe while he watched the mule swat flies.

"There's plenty of time, old woman," he said. "Plenty of time."

 And the garden went unplowed.

One day the old lady, with hands on her hips and fire in her eyes, exclaimed, "Old man, if you don't get out there and plow that garden, that worthless mule is going to croak, and the garden ain't never going to get plowed!"

"Nope, that mule's got many a year in him yet," the old man, still rocking away in his rocking chair and puffing on his corncob pipe." He ain't goin' t' die until I say it's time t' die, and if he does, why; you can hitch me up, and I'll pull the plow m'self!"

Well, wouldn't you know it… about two days later the old couple looks out, and there that mule was, in all his glory, graveyard dead.

Yep, went to mule heaven he did.

No sooner had the old man settled himself in his rocking chair and stoked up his pipe than the old lady dragged the mule harness up to him, and stood there tapping her foot and staring at him.

The old man knew when he was whipped, so he climbed out of his rocking chair and stood there as the old lady draped the harness on him and hooked him up to the plow. Then she grabbed the reins, cracked the whip, and sure enough, the old man commenced to plow that garden, and a nice job he was doing too until they came to the end of the garden plot and he just kept on going, through a mean bramble patch, across the creek, and smack dab into a three-strand barbed wire fence. Well, there he was, all tangled up in that barbed wire and bleeding something fierce. He flopped down on the ground; he could go no further. He just laid there glaring up at the old lady.

Well now, the old lady was fit to be tied, and she shouted, "What in tarnation is wrong with you, old man? Are you crazy or something?"

To which the old duffer said, "Fer crying out loud, woman, don't you know how to say whoa?"

Now it might be said that both of them, the old man as well as the old lady, had unrealistic expectations.
It also might be said that communication had broken down between the old folks, but there are those times, what with all of the frustrations and the whip of life snapping at our ears, don't we sometimes feel like shouting at God, "For crying out loud, don't you know how to say whoa? Can't you stop us before we run through the bramble patches of life and across the creek of despair to finally crash into that barbed wire fence, with its multiple strands of desperation, frustration, and…?"

And He whispers to us...

"So, you want me to say whoa? I was hoping that you would stop and talk to me when you felt the thorns in the bramble patch, but you didn't.

Then, when you came to the creek and nearly drowned, I was sure you were going to stop and ask me if that was the way to do it, but… you didn't, but we got you through it anyway, didn't we?

Now son, when you crashed into that barbed wire fence, whose fault was that, mine? I just knew you would call out to me, but no, you just kept frogging your way through it until it almost killed you.

Sometimes, as much as it pains me, I have to let you go. I don't want to do that, but if I didn't, you never would learn, and look how much you have learned. I bet you will avoid bramble patches from now on, and please, no more muddy creeks, and barbed wire fences are certainly off-limits, right?"

Dear Heavenly Daddy, thank you for putting up with our nonsense. Thank you for teaching us, even though some of the lessons we have to learn are painful. Thank you for your patience, even in our stubbornness and foolishness. We love you, O' Holy one. We love you and praise you; in Jesus' blessed name, we ask it, Amen.

Faith, Inspiration, Mule, Farm, Elderly Couple

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  • Richardmvelho

    Chaz, your story reminded me of something I had heard many years ago, An interviewer was asking Billy Graham's daughter, " Why is there so much misery in the world, war, famine, disease etc., why does God allow this!

    Her answer was perfect! She said that we spend much of our time telling God to stay out of our lives, we want Him off our money, no religious decorations on public places or buildings, we can't pray aloud in public, etc. and that God is the ultimate gracious gentleman, and though it breaks

    his heart, He listens and lets us see how well we manage without His loving guidance!

    In your story, it seems to me that the mule was only one who listened and the then when called, went home! Bless you mightily my friend, Your words are a stream that flow into the river of Life!

    Monday, April 4, 2022 Report this

  • Charles

    Yep! You are right sir Richard. He never forces himself on us, always the gentleman! Thanks so much my friend. Chaz

    Monday, April 4, 2022 Report this