A View From A Pew: Shake It Off and Step Up

We’ve all felt it—that heavy weight of life piling on, one shovel of dirt at a time. Grief. Loss. Disappointment. Betrayal. Sometimes it feels like we’ve fallen into a well so deep that no one even hears us crying out. But there’s a story—simple, yet powerful—that reminds us how even in our darkest pits, there is a way up.

One day, a farmer’s old donkey fell into a deep well. The animal cried for hours while the farmer pondered what to do. The donkey was old, the well unused. He reasoned that it wasn’t worth the trouble to retrieve the animal. So, he called his neighbors to help fill the well with dirt and bury the donkey.

But what happened next surprised them all.

As shovelful after shovelful of dirt rained down on the donkey’s back, the animal began to do something remarkable. Instead of letting the dirt bury him, he shook it off and stepped up. With every scoop of dirt meant to end him, he used it to lift himself higher. Eventually, the donkey stepped over the edge of the well and trotted off—dirty, but free.

Isn’t that a picture of faith?

God never promised us a life without pain, but He did promise us His presence in it. Sometimes, life will throw dirt on us—unfairly, unexpectedly, and unrelentingly. The temptation is to lie down under it, to let discouragement, bitterness, or despair bury us. But faith shakes it off and steps up.

Every betrayal can become a lesson in trust. Every failure can teach perseverance. Every heartache can deepen our capacity for compassion. As Romans 5:3-4 reminds us, "We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Like the donkey, our hope isn’t in the absence of trials—but in the resilience God births in us through them.

So, what if the dirt was never meant to bury you? What if it’s building your staircase to the next level of your calling?

That old donkey didn’t know the plan. He didn’t need to. He just had to keep moving.

Let this be your reminder: When life gets heavy and the way feels impossible, shake it off and step up. Use every hardship as a stepping stone. And when you do, one day you’ll find yourself stepping into the sunlight, stronger, wiser, and freer than you were before.

Stay faithful. Keep climbing.

Your well is not your grave. It’s your training ground.