Whatever the future brought, she was learning to trust that God was with her no matter where she was and no matter how difficult her situation.

My sister always said if we’re stronger in body, that just means we’ve got more responsibility from the good Lord to take care of any who are weaker.

Would not the world be a better place if a man simply lived in humility and loved his brother or sister as himself, regardless of one’s birth?

It was as if she’d been stuck her entire life in a tiny overcrowded corner that had defined her existence, ignorant of the spacious world that existed beyond her.

The truth was, he liked being his own man, breaking free of the constraints of his class and doing whatever he pleased.

Joseph met the captain’s gaze and realized the conversation was more than simply crossing a bridge. It was an invitation to another journey, a journey he couldn’t wait to begin.

Was death so common a visitor in these parts that people expected it, maybe even welcomed it as the only true savior from their pain? Or had they, like her, closed off their hearts to the pain in order to continue on?

The truth was, Mercy hadn’t witnessed many successful or happy marriages in her tiny corner of the world. As a result, marriage didn’t appeal to her any more than the thought of having children.

Maybe Mercy was as guilty of making assumptions about the wealthy as they were of forming their views of the poor. She’d do well to stop rushing to judge and instead see beyond the surface to the real person.