Diligence -- Ow-ow-uch!

So, what happened the day after I declared January my personal diligence month? Be careful what you ask for! Without knowing that I had decided to work on this, a loved one pointed out several areas in which I was not diligent. So, I have more work to do in this area than I realized.

I read a story about diligence. An old mule had fallen into a deep pit and could not get out. The mule's elderly owner loved the mule deeply, but could not muster up the strength to or figure out a way to get the mule out. So, the owner decided that the merciful thing to do would be to bury the mule in the pit and put the poor animal out of its misery. When the farmer shoveled in the first clod of dirt, the mule realized what the farmer was doing and kicked up a fuss. However, the mule soon realized that if he shook off the dirt and stamped it down, he could stand on top of the clod of dirt. He did the same with each shovelful that the farmer threw in. Bit by bit, the mule stamped the dirt into an incline up the hole. The mule simply walked out of the hole. The mule's diligence had saved his life.

Enjoy!
elizabeth