IGNORING THE CROWD

Once upon a time there was a group of little frogs who lived in a pond next to a windmill on a farm. One day one of them wondered if it were possible to hop to the top of the windmill and see what the world looked like from up there.  "You can't do that," said his froggy friends. But he said he was going to try. Word spread and others said they mighty to try, too. Someone suggested a contest to see who could get the highest. Soon a crowd of animals gathered to watch.

The little frogs lined up, someone yelled, "GO!" and the frogs started hopping up the steps. Some jumped up the first level and tried to make it to the second level. But it was hard and the animals down below didn't think they could do it, so they started shouting, "You'll never make it." or "That's way too hard!" A few animals even laughed when some little frogs fell. A few got to the third level, but heard the crowd chanting, "Impossible!" "Losers!" "Forget it!"  and they fell down, too.  One by one they dropped out - literally. 

But one little frog kept going. He hopped up to the fourth level and then up the fifth. The animals yelled at him to quit, but he didn't give up. Finally in a mighty leap, he reached the top level on the windmill. He waved at them the top and could see for miles!  "How did he do that?" the animals grumbled.  "How'd he make it when everyone else failed?"  He was no bigger or stronger, so how could he do such a thing? 

When he came down they asked him why, but he didn't answer. He just smiled at them and hopped away. Then they realized that little frog was deaf! He won without hearing their nasty remarks. He'd just kept doing what he knew he could do, and made it to the top. Their negative words had no affect on him.

Some people seem to think it's their purpose in life to tell others what they can't do. They sit on the sidelines and shout warnings but never get in the contest. You and I need to be careful not to believe what people may say of us or others. Some mighty wonderful dreams and plans have gone unfulfilled because people paid heed to the naysayers. Great things have been done by those who ignored the crowd followed their heart.

Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue has the power of life and death." God's Word has the power of true life. Jesus raised a dead man, ("Lazarus, come forth!" in John 11:43) and He also gave a criminal a place in heaven (Luke 23:43). Jesus' word has great power, and we should listen to Him.

Pessimism is not a spiritual gift, but encouragement is.