The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Hot and Cold (04/09/09)
The city is Right Here, USA. This woman’s name has been changed to protect her identity. Henceforth we will refer to her as Jane. Today is Sunday morning, the first full day since Jane’s return from a weekend with her girlfriends at The Mountain Top Experience 2009 retreat. Jane spent two days in prayer, communion, worship, fellowship and study, with only limited interruptions to be fed mouth-watering, catered meals. She was met at the door on Saturday evening by her handsome, yet harried husband and a sink full of dishes.

Because her heart was swollen with love and her head was filled with all she had learned, Jane hugged her man, kissed the sleeping children and proceeded to whistle Chris Tomlin melodies while scrubbing plates and silverware. She went to bed exhausted, yet exuberant. Her God was bigger than the minutiae of her mundane life.

Day One:
This morning, the alarm clock chimes one hour later than expected, but through her grogginess and fear of missing worship, Jane still eagerly cracks open the spine of her brand-new Mountain Top prayer journal to write the following:

Thank you, Father, for your faithfulness to me. You are the God of the universe and the closest Person to my heart. I love You for all You do and all You are and pray that the fire You’ve stirred in my heart will never grow cold. Praise You, Jesus!

With a spirit of servanthood, she happily dresses her children (the littlest one twice, still smiling all the while), gathers her husband and family and journeys to church. Jane worships hungrily, feeling overwhelmed by love and devotion to her Redeemer. She lifts her hands, sings with abandon and cries during the sermon.
At home she dances through fixing Sunday brunch and prays for guidance before moving into referee position for her children’s fight. She ends the evening in prayer with her husband and reads five chapters of the Bible.

Days Two through Eight:
Jane continues to be in prayer and devotion every morning. Her prayer journal now has a coffee stain on the cover and a dozen pages filled with the cries of her heart.

Day Fifteen:
The prayers continue in the morning, but are hurried. The journal is now buried under a stack of fiction and the busy-ness of life has kept her from praying with her husband but once in the last week. Jesus fits into her life only between 6:15 and 6:30am and possibly before bed at 10:00 to 10:05 every evening. Jane knows God loves her and believes He cares about the big and small moments of her life, but the fire that she knew two weeks ago has cooled considerably. She is aware that it has happened, but assumes that this is normal when one has come down from the Mountain Top. She is convinced she can wait it out and the fire’s flame will burn brightly again.

Day Seventeen:
Within a span of two hours, Jane has lost her temper, yelled at the children, slammed a door and snapped at her husband. Not once has she prayed for guidance.

Day Twenty-one:
Jane listens to a preacher on the radio who reminds her of Paul’s teaching on a willing spirit vs. weak flesh and is convicted anew to spend time with Christ. Leaving the laundry unfolded in the basket, she pulls out her Bible and her prayer journal and for twenty minutes feverishly writes non-stop, praying for herself, her children, her country and the world.

Day Twenty-five:
Jane is beginning to find balance between the heat of passionate faith (which she desires) and the chill of apathy (which she fears). God hears her sincere prayer squeezed between soccer practice and the PTA meeting just as well as any other prayer she has prayed, because her God is faithful to ALL who call on His name—the prodigal son, the wayward child, and even the busy mother.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 1195 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Robyn Burke
04/16/09
Oh,yes.. been there ~ done that! and many times! Good reminder of how we do need those mountain top experiences but we also need those daily connections. the descent from her mountain top to the valley seemed to happen a little quicker than i expected. Good writing!
Bryan Ridenour
04/16/09
Good writing. How quickly we can fall from the mountain if we don't stay plugged in to Jesus. Nicely done!
Lollie Hofer 
04/17/09
Sister, you nailed it! Been there and done that after a number of retreats. Good use of this week's theme.
Glenda Lagerstedt
04/18/09
Great writing, and something we can all identify with.
Patricia Turner 
04/20/09
Love your title and can certainly identify. I think I'll put your piece on my makeup mirror to remind me when I reach day 15! Nicely done!
Ruth Ann Moore
04/20/09
I don't imagine there are many a believer who could not identify with this one. Excellent capture of the descent of a mountain top experience.
Jan Ackerson
04/20/09
Very interesting, and even though it's a universal experience, you made it unique to your main character.
Joshua Janoski
04/30/09
I could relate to this piece. I have been there, where I am totally on fire for God one minute and the next minute cold as ice and wondering why I don't feel the presence of God.

You are right that we need balance. You are also right that God hears the cries of all people.

I am honored to have my story tie with this story. :)