The Necklace

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  “SHE WAS one of those pretty, charming young ladies, born, as if through an error of destiny, into a family of clerks. She had no dowry, no hopes, no means of becoming known, appreciated, loved, and married by a man either rich or distinguished; and she allowed herself to marry a petty clerk in the office of the Board of Education. . . .  She had neither frocks nor jewels, nothing. And she loved only those things. She felt that she was made for them. She had such a desire to please, to be sought after, to be clever, and courted.” —THE NECKLACE Guy de Maupassant    France, 1884 (pic by Grok) Read this short story here:  https://americanliterature.com/author/guy-de-maupassant/short-story/the-necklace

Carrying the Burden

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When a Backpacker puts a pack on his back for an all day hike he can carry it one of two ways: either with his shoulder straps (placing the weight on his shoulders and back); or, with his hips (placing the weight on the lower part of his body).

If he uses the first way, his shoulders bear all the weight and he tires out easily and quickly because his shoulders aren’t built to carry that weight.

But if he uses his hips to bear the weight he can go all day without suffering greatly. The key is how he carries the load.

The same is true for the Christian: when carrying a load, he should be concerned with "how" it is carried and not the "why" or for "how long."

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