Page 33 - Publishing Inspiration Christmas Card 2020
P. 33

children.  The foreman angrily hit and kicked his

     way into the circle, single-handedly forcing the
     men to stop.  The foreman helped Earl to his feet,
     then climbed onto the wagon and held up the
     small coffin as he spoke.

             “You bunch of fools!  You blame Earl for
     your problems when you don't even know what
     real problems are.  In this box lies the body of his
     youngest daughter, the fourth of his children he

     has had to bury.  Which one of you would be
     willing to trade him places?  Which of you would
     be willing to take his store in exchange for those

     you love?”
             The foreman then turned to one of the men
     who was foremost in the beating.  “How about
     you, John?  You haven't lost a single family

     member to the flu.  Which one of your children's
     lives would you like to trade for Earl's store? How
     about Timothy little Susan?”

             John couldn't even look at the foreman as he
     shook his head.  The foreman asked a similar
     question of others and received a similar response.
             “Well, then,” the foreman said, “when you

     imagine how much better you think it is for
     someone else, I'd suggest you consider what it
     would be like to walk in their shoes all the way,

     not just on the parts of their journey that you like.”
             The foreman reached out a hand and pulled
     Earl back onto the wagon.  He then turned to the



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