When life seems to be nothing more than sifting through manure, remember, it may be a bit smelly, but it is also an opportunity from God for personal growth.
Tom was the optimist while Bob saw nothing but the bad. One birthday their dad played a trick on the two boys. He gave Bob a new bicycle, but all the pessimist could say was, "It's the wrong color. Who will fix it? I'll probably get hurt."
Tom ran through the house trying to find his gift only to end up at a pile of manure dumped in the back yard. Dad found Tom frantically digging through the manure.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
Always seeing the good side, Tom answered, "I know there's a pony under here."
Jesus told a parable of a fig tree that didn't produce fruit. The owner wanted to cut it down, but the groundskeeper said to first use fertilizer and then see if it would bear fruit. Sometimes, before we can produce valuable fruit in our lives, we have to be fertilized.
When life seems to be nothing more than sifting through manure, remember, it may be a bit smelly, but it is also an opportunity from God for personal growth. Don't give in to negative emotions. Keep digging.
For Beyond Today, I'm Gary Petty.
