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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: BLUE (11/09/17)
The old man came back to reality from a deep sleep on his transatlantic overnight flight. He felt the back of his neck with the palm of his hand. He usually ignored pain like this. His eyes gradually focused in the dark cabin of the aircraft. There were shadows, vague figures and whispers in the night. The young woman seated next to him was deeply engrossed, sketching on her artist pad. Her narrow overhead light focused on her fold-down table. On her table was an ornate cigar box with artist supplies. It looked as though she had tossed in supplies without care to a particular arrangement . It was a mixed collection of highlighters, ink pens, pencils--all in blues with the exception of a few in black.

The old man heard the soft hiss of air flow from her overhead nozzle as he watched intently. He thought her color choice was odd. The craftsmanship flowed from her as the rendering took its form. It distantly reminded him of a famous painting called, "The Scream." It took a moment for him to recall the name of the artist.

"Edward Munch," he softly muttered.

She looked up. "Munch. He inspires me."

She flipped her artist pad to the front page and leafed through about a dozen renderings that were very similar.

"These are really very good. I can see you have a gift."

"Thanks."

"You have a unique way of speaking through your work. Looks like one of those artist's blue periods. Do you really feel this way or is this just an art exercise?"

Tears welled up in her eyes. She laid the dark blue pastel down and dabbled at her tear drops. She used the damp tissue to clean the blue smudges from her fingertips. She felt safe with the old man. He had a calming demeanor. Besides she figured she would never see him again.

"I..I...had an abortion," she confessed in a whisper and choked back emotions. "I feel so ashamed. My life is a mess. My boyfriend pushed me to do this, and then he bailed out and left anyway!"

"I'm so sorry you had to go through this! If it's of any comfort, let me tell you what happened to me. I once had horrible anguish of heart, too. It was many years ago. I was about your age then. I accidently killed someone in a car wreck. I was driving too fast. I wasn't speeding, but I skidded on black ice. It was foolhardy of me, and I knew better. I felt so ashamed of what I had done. I asked God to forgive me. I pleaded with Jesus. When I did this, my inner pain went away. It was something wonderful, powerful and amazing. That experience carried me through many years. It was something I will never forget."

The old man gazed into her blue eyes and sensed she was receptive to his comfort. He gently took her hand in his and said, "Pray with me...okay?"

She nodded.

"Father, in Jesus Name, this young lady needs Your help. We are holding hands, looking to You. I ask that you ease the pain in her heart. Let her know Your forgiveness. We ask that from today things will be different."

"If you truly want this, say 'Amen'."

"Amen," she said as she heard the sound of the rolling beverage cart.

"Coffee or tea?" whispered the stewardess.

The old man realized that the young woman felt a little awkward so he went quiet, giving her time to reflect. As he waited, he nodded off.

She sipped at her coffee and continued with her blue pastel, attempting to pick up where she had left off.

"This isn't right...This blue color doesn't feel right," she mumbled. She self-reflected and knew something was not the same.

"What is this that I feel? Oh...oh...Oh!"

Suddenly she squeezed the old man's hand, startling him as he dozed.

"I feel it!" she whispered urgently..."I want to know more! Please tell me!"

"You are experiencing the presence of Jesus. I know one thing for sure. You are NOT feeling the blues!"
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Margaret Kearley
11/16/17
What a gripping story. I'd love to believe its a true account! However, even if it is not, it was a blessing to read and a reminder of our miracle working God. You have written well, thankyou.
Penny Neimiller 
11/19/17
I agree with the other person who commented... Beautifully done, great testimony... Sounds true to me. God is amazing.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
11/19/17
This is a very powerful story on a difficult topic. You did a great job of pulling me in and keeping my attention to the very end. Be careful of POV shifts. You went into both characters heads. Instead tell it just from the one point of view by using body language, thoughts and dialog. Overall though, you did a great job of writing on topic while delivering a great message.