Eli the Stable Boy
by
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Eli noticed the sun was going down; his make-believe staff went back to being a pitchfork, and Eli finished spreading the fresh straw. Then he filled the manger with freshly cut alfalfa, which left just one more job to do—filling the trough with fresh water.
So he grabbed the pot his father left him and started to head to the well. Just then he noticed a strange man standing at the entrance of the stable.
“Can I help you?” Eli asked.
The man looked dusty and tired, and as Eli walked closer to him, he noticed the man was leading a donkey.
“I hope you can,” the man said. “My wife and I have traveled for days so we can be counted for the census. We have looked everywhere for a place to stay but can’t find one. My wife is going to have a baby and is very tired. I need to find somewhere for her to rest. Would it be possible for us to stay here tonight in this stable?”
Eli didn’t say a word, but his mind was racing. What is the right thing to do here? Eli thought to himself. I told my dad I was going to clean the stable, which I did, but if I let this man and woman stay here with their animal, the stable will not be clean and ready. But then Eli also remembered what the Rabbi had read in temple from the Torah: “Love the stranger as yourself.” It’s in the book of Leviticus, and Papa had quoted it many times.
What is the right thing to do? Eli asked himself again. If this were my mom or my sister, I would want someone to provide a place for them. That must be what it means to “love the stranger as yourself.”
“You can stay here tonight,” Eli said abruptly. “The straw is fresh, and I will go get water from the well.”
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About the Book
Did you ever wonder who prepared the stable where the baby Jesus was born? In this imaginary tale, Eli, who longs to be a shepherd like his father, is given the task of making the stable ready for the sheep to come down from the hills. But little does he know that in being obedient to his father, Eli is actually getting the stable ready for the Promised Messiah.
About the Author
About the Author Keith Ogorek is the marketing director for Author Solutions and a huge fan of self-published books. This book was inspired by a story he would tell his daughters at bedtime when they were children. It was their encouragement that prompted him to publish this story. About the Illustrator Eric Walton is a student at Taylor University majoring in art. He has been painting since high school and wanted to illustrate this book to be challenged in a different way as an artist.