September 2021 News - National Association of Church Facilities Managers

September 2021 NACFM News

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHURCH FACILITIES MANAGERS | September 2021

The Farmer and the Donkey - A Life Lesson
MESSAGE FROM NACFM PRESIDENT HOMER CLARK

Fellow brothers and sisters, I want to share a very meaningful devotional with you. When life's ups and downs pull me off track, this piece encourages me to think upward toward the goodness of our Lord. There are seasons in our ministry when it seems like the weight of the world is on our shoulders. Headaches come with schedules, maintenance, staffing, family challenges, and break downs in major facility systems. As you read the following, keep your own personal and professional challenges and hardships in mind.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. – James 1:2-3

A farmer’s donkey had fallen into an old, abandoned well. The animal brayed and brayed as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. The farmer could not think of a way to get the donkey out of the well, so he decided to bury the donkey and fill the well in the process. The farmer grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.

At first, the donkey realized what was happening and began braying louder. Finally, the donkey began to quiet down. After shoveling for a while, the farmer looked down into the well and was amazed at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit the donkey, the animal would shake the dirt off and take a step up. The farmer continued to shovel dirt into the well, and the donkey would shake it off and take another step up. After some time, the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off.

What’s the moral of the story? Let’s look at it from the perspective of the donkey: Like dirt being shoveled on the donkey, the negative experiences of life can seemingly bury us. Crying out is a natural and appropriate response when we find ourselves in tough times. But, it doesn’t solve the problem. The solution, with God’s help in our lives, is to shake the experiences off and to use them as stepping-stones. Further, if we don’t give in — if we shake off the “dirt” and take a step up — allowing God to work in our lives, we become equipped not only to better handle more “dirt,” but to reach out and help others who are experiencing similar trials and challenges.

None of us can escape life’s “dirt.” To remain silent and do nothing won’t help. Instead, the next time you find yourself on the verge of being buried by circumstances, cry out to God. With God’s help, shake off the “dirt” and take a step up. Then, when you’ve come through the circumstance, don’t just trot off. Be sure to extend a helping hand to someone else who is struggling.

But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” – Genesis 50:19-20

There is always two sides to every story; let’s look from the perspective of the farmer. While I’m not certain about the intelligence of donkeys, if I were the farmer, I wouldn’t be expecting much help from the donkey in the future. How would one try to convey to the donkey, “Oh, sorry about trying to bury you”?

To me, a lesson we can learn from the story is that God is able to bring good from our errors. The farmer erred in not filling up and covering the well in the first place. It was his fault that the donkey fell into the well. What was the farmer’s solution to the problem? He decided to kill the donkey and cover the whole mess up!

Covering up for mistakes and sins sounds pretty familiar. Fortunately, God is all-powerful, and He is able to do what we cannot. He is able to transform even the worst intentions into good outcomes. This doesn’t mean that we should expect God to remove the natural consequences for our poor decisions. In fact, I think He only rarely does this; however, because God is good, I believe He provides opportunities for some good to result.

Here’s a challenge for you today: When you realize you’ve sinned or otherwise messed something up, go straight to God. Ask Him to forgive you and always ask God to bring good out of every situation.

GOING DEEPER:

1. What “dirt” is threatening to “bury” you? Ask God to give you strength and wisdom to persevere through this challenge.

2. Based on what you’ve learned in your own situation, what advice or comfort could you give to someone who is experiencing a similar challenge?

3. When have you recently tried to “bury the donkey” by covering up some sin, mistake or poor decision?

4. What good might result from admitting the wrong and addressing it head-on with God and others around you?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 9:9; Matthew 7:24-27; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Genesis 45:1-11; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; Romans 8:28

Blessings to you all,

Homer Clark
NACFM President

WORKS CITED:

Liebelt, Jim. "The Farmer and the Donkey (Part 1) - HomeWord - April 19, 2019." https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/homeword/the-farmer-and-the-donkey-part-1-homeword-april-19-2019.html.

Liebelt, Jim. "The Farmer and the Donkey (Part 2) - HomeWord - April 26, 2019." https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/homeword/the-farmer-and-the-donkey-part-2-homeword-april-26-2019.html.

A Guide to Bollard Spacing and Site Planning

Bollards are used for safety, asset protection or they can even be decorative. They can be can be fixed or removable, high or low impact. When preparing to install bollards you will want to consider proper spacing based on your particular situation. Reliance Foundry has a great guide on planning for bollards.

Featured Member:
Chris Barron - Faith Baptist Church, Youngsville, NC

Like so many other NACFM professionals, Chris Barron had several career positions before coming to facilities management. His list of career experiences range from work as an assistant technical director to a highly complex role of a reactor operator on a nuclear submarine. Today, Chris serves as the Director of Facilities at Faith Baptist Church in Youngsville, NC (100,000 sq. ft.).