Page 9 - Publishing Inspiration Christmas Card 2021

because of the sickness in their home. Their hope

of enjoying the holiday with extended family was
impossible.
As Aaron finished milking the cows that

morning, he struggled to count his blessings instead
of his challenges. Though everyone in the family
had gotten sick, his own strength had been

sufficient to allow him to continue to do the chores.
Most of the family was now well, but he still

worried about the three that weren't. Still, his
family had enough food so they didn't go hungry,
and they even had extra to share with those who
were less fortunate. Aaron's thoughts ping-ponged

back and forth from blessings to challenges.
Aaron went to the smokehouse and got the

turkey he had prepared for their Thanksgiving meal.
It was a big one that he had raised, and it would
provide a lot of good food for the family. He took

it to the house where his wife was making pies and
rolls. Aaron could see her eyes were red and knew
she had been crying. Even though losing Sam was

hard for her, she always tried to be cheerful.
She forced a smile and asked, "Do you think
Alice will make it home for Thanksgiving?"

"I hope so," Aaron said.
Alice had volunteered to work as a nurse

during the pandemic. She had been gone for almost
four months. The last letter had indicated she had

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