The mule, the dog and the monkey

Why do men exist? For what reasons is he living for?

How do you seek to understand the pattern of his years?

Evelyn Hall from the popular website Wit and Wisdom came up with an article I have kept over the years that is quite amusing and entertaining.

And this is what she says:

God created the mule, and told him, “You will be Mule, working constantly from dusk to dawn, carrying heavy loads on your back. You will eat grass and you lack intelligence. You will live for 50 years.”

The mule answered: “To live like this for 50 years is too much. Please, give
me no more than 20.” And it was so.

Then God created the dog, and told him, “You will hold vigilance over the
dwellings of Man, to whom you will be his greatest companion. You will eat his table scraps and live for 25 years.

And the dog responded, “Lord, to live 25 years as a dog is too much.
Please, no more than 10 years.” And it was so.

God then created the monkey, and told him, “You are Monkey. You shall swing from tree to tree, acting like an idiot. You will be funny, and you shall live for 20 years.”

And the monkey responded, “Lord, to live 20 years as the clown of the world is too much. Please, Lord, give me no more than 10 years.” And it was so. Finally, God created Man and told him, “You are Man, the only rational
being that walks the earth.

You will use your intelligence to have mastery
over the creatures of the world.

You will dominate the earth and live for
20 years.” And the man responded, “Lord, to be Man for only 20 years is too little. Please, Lord, give me the 30 years the mule refused, the 15 years the dog
refused, and the 10 years the monkey rejected.” And it was so.

So God made Man to live 20 years as a man, then marry and live 30 years like a mule working and carrying heavy loads on his back. Then, he is to have children and live 15 years as a dog, guarding his house and eating the leftovers after they empty the pantry; then, in his old age, to live 10
years as a monkey, acting like a clown to amuse his grandchildren.

So, this is the reason why man exists. This article of course is theologically inaccurate but now that I am turning to be a grandad for the first time, I see some semblance of truth in this article. A new adventure awaits the Ilocana and me. With the coming of a grandchild this would usher us to a brand-new chapter of our life, and we are so excited to experience the blessing.

At this stage of our lives we need to guard ourselves against cynicism. To constantly be positive in all situations whether easy or hard. To enjoy the life that God has given and to be a blessing to others starting with the special people in our lives. To still be productive and not to be a burden to the kids who are starting to raise a family of their own.

This is the stage of life wherein we should seriously consider Scriptures offering the truth that of all creatures created by God (including the mule, the dog and the monkey), man is His crowning glory. Only man mirrors God’s image and likeness and after his creation said, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.”

Bottom line is this. You and I are special in God’s sight. There is no need to feel self-pity. We have a God who loves us so much he sent His only begotten Son to die for us so what more proofs do you need? Yes, there is a beautiful purpose to living. And that is to know that God has created us out of His love, that we are to live this life in worship and obedience to Him and that the ultimate objective is that we will be in His presence forever. No mule, no dog and no monkey can ever have this enjoyment. So, we don’t have to live life behaving like one.

(Connect with Francis Kong in www.facebook.com/francis kong2 or listen to “Business Matters” Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. over 98.7 dzFE-FM ‘The Master’s Touch’, the classical music station.)