Have you ever tried to jostle for position with a donkey or mule?
They can be pretty stubborn. I’ve always found a gentle spirit or a kind word softens their opposition. This practice also works well with people, something I would do well to remember more often.
We find such instruction in Proverbs 15:1 –
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
I try to remember the advice of “Horse Whisperer” Buck Brannaman: “[Be] gentle in what you do, firm in how you do it.”
