| Category: | Inspirational |
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Have you ever tried walking the rails? As a youngster growing up, I had to walk about a mile to school. The railroad track ran past both my house and the school. It was the shortest and quickest route. I can remember many times while walking to and from school that I would try to walk the rails, seeing how far I could go without falling off. I usually didn't get too far before a foot would slip and I would be off the rail and on the crosstie.
I read once of a group of Scouts who happened upon some abandoned railroad track. Each Scout took his turn trying to walk the entire length of a track without falling off. None of the boys was able to go the entire length without falling off.
Two of the boys got their heads together, and after some discussion came running to the group, smiling from ear to ear. They told the group that they were willing to bet that they could walk the entire length of a track without falling off. The others in the group thought it was a good bet, because they had already seen each of the boys fail in the attempt to accomplish the feat. So the bet was accepted and the two boys moved toward the track.
Each of the boys got on one rail and began their walk, side by side walking down the track. Soon one of them became a little shaky, so the boys stopped. They then did something none of the other boys had thought of. They reached out and joined hands! After joining hands, they were able to walk the entire length of the track without falling off. Joining hands and supporting each other, they were able to accomplish what neither of them could accomplish alone.
When we help another, we help ourselves. When we lend a helping hand, we receive one in return. Neither of the boys could walk the length of that track separately. But, by joining hands, the task was made relatively easy.
There are many rails in life that have to be walked. Some of them are very difficult to master by ourselves. But if we are willing to extend a hand and receive a hand, we will find that walking the rails of life is much easier to accomplish.