A little bird was flying south for the winter. It got so cold it froze up and fell to the ground in a large field. While it was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some manure on it. As it lay there in the pile of manure, it began to realize how warm it was. The manure was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the little bird singing, and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of manure, and promptly dug him out--and then ate him.

The morals of the story are:

1. Not everyone who drops manure on you is your enemy.

2. Not everyone who digs you out of a pile of manure is your friend.

3. When you're in the manure, keep your mouth shut!

The point I would like to make is that every day, we get something dumped on us…some kind of manure. Whether it is a problem with a job, family, spouse, something not working right at home, or even something so simple as a bad weather day. We don’t like it, we complain, and we try to change things. We open our mouths and spew out things that might get us into more trouble. At least I know that I am guilty of this. I always want to fix things, to make things right, and maybe things just have to be wrong for a while.

During those times of life, when things don’t go as planned, or we find trouble lurking around every corner, we need to call out to our Lord more often. It may be His will that we go through these times, and somehow, He will get us through to the other side.  But a lot of people, who get down in these manure pits, turn away from God, when they should be running to Him!

Being a gardener, I know that manure is sometimes used as fertilizer for plants. From that manure, mixed with the dirt and the seeds, grows some beautiful plants. Without the manure, the plants might not have grown so tall or luscious, the seeds might not even have sprouted at all. Can’t we say that in life, things are like that as well? Without the problems, we don’t grow. Without the problems, we might not even begin to know our potential, and we cannot be the creatures that God wants us to be. Without the manure, we can’t appreciate the beauty that follows when the plant blooms to full maturity.

When you are warm and happy in a pile of manure, just picture that beautiful plant that will be the result of all that manure. And don’t forget to keep your mouth shut!