Shake it Off, Step Up

     I was feeling a little sorry for myself yesterday. Every missionary gets homesick every once in a while, and it made me think of one of the most inspirational stories I have ever heard. I heard it from my weight lifting coach my Sophomore year of high school, and as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I couldn't help applying this story to the atonement of Christ.

SHAKE IT OFF, STEP UP

     A farmer was tending to his farm one day, when he heard a loud cry. He followed the sound to a dried up well on the side of his farm. To his dismay, his work mule had fallen in and was crying out in distress. The Mule was heavy, and the well was deep. It would be impossible to get it out. So the farmer made a bitter decision, but a productive one. He decided that he would bury the mule in the well, therefore accomplishing two jobs. He would fill the well up, and take care of the mule. So he shovels one shovel of dirt on top of the mule. At this point the mule is hysterical. The farmer continues to shovel, and the mule continues to cry even louder.

     Then all of a sudden, the mule has an idea. The mule shakes the dirt off of his back and steps up. With each shovel full of dirt, the mule takes a step closer to the top of the well. The farmer catches on, and starts shoveling faster. Shake it off, step up. Shake it off, step up. The mule steps up, one pile of dirt at a time. The farmer keeps shoveling, and the mule is getting tired. Shake it off, step up. Shake it off, step up. The mule pushes onward, and finally, steps up and over the edge of the dried up well. The farmer and mule rejoice as they are reunited.

     So what does this have to do with the Atonement of Christ? We are all human. Every one of us. We all make mistakes, we all get mad, we all are jealous sometimes. We are not perfect, however, we can become so. 

Matthew 5:48

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect."

Why would Christ ask so much of us if we know we cannot possibly be perfect in this lifetime?

Well,

1 Nephi 3:7

 7 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I ^awill go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no ^bcommandments unto the children of men, save he shall ^cprepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. 

     What? is this saying that I CAN be perfect? That the Lord will PROVIDE a way for us to keep his commandments? YES! the Lord has provided a way, just as he has promised he would in the scriptures. That "way" is called the Atonement.

     Now of course, this isn't going to happen over night, in fact, I don't think anyone can be perfect in this lifetime! Let's go back to the original story. In life, that mule represents us, and the dirt represents trials that PROVE our faith and IMPROVE us! With each trial, each temptation, we shake it off and step up. Now here is the tricky part, where is the Savior in this story? I would say the savior is represented by the mule's strength. Without strength, the mule would not be ABLE to shake the dirt off and step up! He would have been stuck, helplessly, at the bottom of the pit, with no ability to stand. Christ is the way, and the enabler that allows us to shake it off and step up.
      I don't know how many times I will have to shake it off and step up before I finally become like God, but I know one thing, I am NEVER going to give up! I will shake it off and step up until that great and glorious day when I reach the top of this old, dried up well and I am reunited with my master again.
   
     Ok, so now for the challenge to you all: what do you need to improve on? what trials or temptations do you need to shake off? My challenge is for all of you to pick something. ONE THING! and shake it off! step up, and leave that dirt underneath your feet. Take the next step up to your Father in Heaven. I know that as you do this, your faith will grow, and you will feel the Savior's love and you will have lasting, true happiness like you have never felt before.