The Christian EducatorA publication of North Valley Baptist Schools

A Donkey or a Pack Mule?

By Tim Minge

The year was 1965.  Tim Blixseth, a 15 year old boy from Roseburg, OR, had been working in a grocery store to help out with family bills.  He noticed a newspaper clipping advertising three donkeys for $25 each.  “That is cheap!” he thought, and he bought all three.

A few days later, he noticed another ad for pack mules selling for $75 each -  three times what he had paid for each of his donkeys.  He decided to “upgrade” his donkeys to pack mules and put an ad in the paper: Three pack mules - $75 each.  Soon after, a buyer arrived and commented that he thought the donkeys were great-looking pack mules. “A few days ago, they were just donkeys,” Tim thought.  He realized then that the world was filled with figurative donkeys waiting to become pack mules.

Tim Blixseth now owns the Porcupine Creek Country Club near Palm Springs, CA., a place where even former Presidents, world leaders, and CEO’s can only come by his personal invitation.  Tim Blixseth is a billionaire today all because he saw “pack-mule potential” in three $25 donkeys.

At times, we as Christian educators can feel as if the students we teach are simple, average, run-of-the-mill donkeys.   We do not “see” much potential in them.  You may have heard the story of the teachers who were told that all of their students were advanced, while another group of teachers thought they were assigned only slower students.  Of course, the students whose teachers “saw” greater potential in them did a much better job of helping them achieve success.  In reality, every one of our students has unbelievable potential.  We just have to see them as pack mules instead of donkeys.  Once we realize this, we can truly help them.

…for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.  1 Samuel 16:7

About the Author: Tim Minge is the principal of Bethel Baptist Christian School.