Hey, Get the Phone! (It’s for You!)

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I’m sure most, if not all, of you know this old story, but I’m going to tell it anyway. (Don’t stop me if you’ve heard it!)

Two old prospectors are arguing over the best way to train a pack mule. The first one maintains that you have to be extra firm with a mule from the beginning–just to let him know who is boss right away.

The other prospector maintains that you have to be gentle to win over a mule; you have to speak to him softly and sweetly. Then, he says, you can get the mule to do anything.

The first prospector doesn’t believe a word of this and asks the second to demonstrate.

The second guy agrees and then picks up a log and hits the mule square on its head.

“What do you mean–be gentle?” the first one asks. “Is slugging him in the head being ‘gentle’?”

“No, sir,” the second prospector replies. “But first, you gotta get his attention!”

Now, my point in telling this story is that it is an analogy for how I’d like for the Lord to speak to me. No, I’m not a masochist. I...