THE CRITIQUE CIRCLE
BACK TO
CRITIQUE CIRCLE
INSTRUCTIONS
COMPLETE
INSTRUCTIONS HERE
CRITIQUE GUIDELINES
CRITIQUE TIPS
HELP TOUR
1) You start with one credit so post your first piece of 1,000 words or less.

2) Receive critiques over a few weeks.

3) Read guidelines and critique another writer and earn 1 credit to post another 1,000 word or less piece.


4) Build up credits now by giving more critiques to be used at another time.
YOUR CREDITS
LOGIN HERE


ATTENTION:
Effective 8-27-15 submissions are now limited to 1,000 words or less and to a maximum of four submissions per month per member. See message to left for information.

TITLE: Attacked 3/17/2016
By Kate Warren
03/28/16
  SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
 SEND ARTICLE TO A FRIEND
This was 3rd Place at the Beginners Level. I would like to know what I can do to make it First Place.
Julie was her usual effervescent self, giggling at something her friend Hanna texted as she opened her laptop. She pulled up Face Book ready to catch up with all the news of the day. Her face morphed from its customary smile to a look of pain and shock. As she stared at the screen she felt as if she had been punched everywhere at once. One after another the messages were filled with epithets, vile suggestions, and called her unspeakable names. She was warned not to show her face in school the next day if she knew what was good for her.
Devastation eclipsed her heart and her soul. Her depression was such that she could not eat, sleep or even pray. She would not come down to dinner, skipped youth group at church and skipped school the next day. Julie was totally alone in a dark cold place. The messages were getting worse, suggesting she die. Boys started to write her describing unspeakable things they would do to her because she “wanted it.”
She dragged herself down to the table Friday night after her father threatened to break down her door if she didn’t open it and join the family. The sorrow and brokenness she felt was evident in her dull, tangled copper hair, her pasty complexion, lowered eyes, and downturned mouth. Sadness overcame her and she started to sob. Chris, her older brother, went up to her room and opened her computer. As he read her Face Book, his anger exploded.
“Dad! Dad! Come up here, quick!” Chris called, fury in his voice. Everything became horrifyingly clear, why Julie had locked herself away, her depression, her sense of shame.
They called the police and their pastor. They would go to the school the next day.
Pastor looked everything over and sat down in a corner of the living room with the broken girl.
“Is this why you skipped Youth Group Wednesday night, Julie?” he asked gently
“Uh-huh.” She sobbed.
“Julie, do you know that you are none of the things that those children wrote?
“I-I guess,” Julie hiccupped “Some of them must be true, so many people said them.”
“Julie, look at me,” Pastor said. He waited until he held her gaze. “You are none of those things. Satan has targeted you to hurt you. Are you going to let him win?”
At that her head snapped up. “This is from Satan?” she asked incredulously.
“You are the very opposite of those words. I do believe that this is a demonic attack; you have been on fire for God and it has been catching. I think Satan was very anxious to quench that fire in your soul.” Pastor responded.
“Do I have to go back to that school? After what they wrote?”
“You know, God talked about that. In Proverbs He called such people fools. In Romans 12: 19-21 it says not to take revenge but to do kindness to them. You will heap burning coals on their heads and they will be convicted. They will be made the fools and you will store up crowns in heaven. You let your heavenly Father take care of these kids, Julie. You are blameless. You can return to school when you are comfortable and hold your head high.”
Pastor continued.
“Would you like to do something right now that will help you heal from this attack?”
Julie nodded enthusiastically. The sooner she could begin to put this behind her the better. She was taken aback at his next words.
“Let’s pray for them.”
“Pastor, you want me to pray for the people who said these horrible things?”
“What did Jesus do after they had beaten Him and nailed Him to the cross?”
“He asked His Father to forgive them.” Julie said quietly.
“So He set the example for us, don’t you think?” Pastor asked?
They bowed their heads and began to pray. Julie started praying and those prayers were led by the Holy Spirit. When they had finished Julie’s heart was lighter, the joy she had had was sneaking back.
“Mom, can I have some of that ginger ale you mentioned?” Julie asked. “Come to think of it, I am starved, can I have some spaghetti?”
It was a couple of weeks before Julie returned to school, but she returned with a stronger conviction of her faith and maintained her joyful effervescent demeanor. She had given a horrible situation to God and He had healed her.
.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.