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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Pastor (11/30/06)
I was sitting on the hard sun warmed concrete steps outside my squeaky front door. My mother had the three of us lined up to take our picture. I knew that something very special was about to happen. First of all she was happy, I was skeptical about what might happen next in our unstable lives. It was Sunday morning and we usually went to church but this Sunday my mother told us would be different. Today we were going to a new church where she had befriended the pastor. Fear would usually overcome me at this point in the conversation and I would insist that we stay at home or go to our regular church. But the key word had been transmitted into my brain. My mother knew someone? Questions poured out of me the whole fifteen minute ride to the church. Unfortunately, I do not remember a whole lot about that day but the pastor invited us over for lunch. How wonderful he had two girls my age and two boys my brother and sisters age. This was the first of many glorious play dates on a Sunday afternoon.

Our Pastor and his family had four children and over the years would add four more to their bundle. One would die before her first birthday due to complications of Downe’s Syndrome. But as a child between the ages of five and eight my Pastor would change my life forever. He taught my Sunday school class when a teacher was needed. Not having a dad I listened to his every word and his constant encouragement poured into an open wound in my heart. I felt like he made me his own child and saw me the same way God did. I got baptized at the age of eight the first in line with his daughters. He could have been too tired, poor, or busy to allow more children into his life and heart but he never made me feel like a burden. The church could have been his number one priority but it was not. His service to the flock was amazing. While my parents went through a bitter heart breaking divorce, I was surrounded by a family that made me their own. Amazingly his parents became my grandparents, allowing me to escape the city and see the country every summer. My brother and sister were privileged guests and made the journey to our new grandparents too.

A pastor is someone who God uses to run a church, but he is so much more. I know that countless things are expected of a pastor. However because someone took the time to pour out their love on me I stayed a Christian and believed in the Bible long after God called him home. I can not wait to see this man in heaven some day and praise God together for his great love for us. I never got to say thank you to this man but I know that one day I will.
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This article has been read 818 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
julie wood
12/07/06
This sounds like a wonderful person described and a string of really joyful memories.

The character and events would come more to life if dialogue were used in the story, along with specific descriptions of the pastor (how did he look? talk? gesture? etc.), as well as descriptions of the individual children and of specific, perhaps humorous or moving events.
Norma OGrady
12/08/06
Good writing skills come from trial and error.
Keep up the good work.
God bless
Phyllis Inniss 
12/08/06
I love this touching episode in your life, how the Pastor made a strong Christian impression on you that remained with your throughout your life. These memories are so important to children that they shape our lives in a special way. Thank you for sharing.
Sara Harricharan
12/14/06
What a beautiful piece! I loved the way you wrote this story and the title was surely fitting. Thanks for sharing something so nice to read! Good job.
Jesus Puppy 
12/14/06
A rather good story hidden here, I found myself lost a few times. If you break down the Paragraphs more, perhaps adding in dialog.. "What thoughts were going through the childs mind" it might make a longer but earier to read piece.
william price
12/14/06
You have the concept of a great story here. You told a good story. Adding dialogue not only breaks up the gray space of your piece, making it more appealing to the readers eye, but it gives your characters another dimension. As a reader I like to have at least one visual of the character in the story. Its important to not only get the reader to care about the message of your story, but we need to care about the character that the message rides with. Excellent start here. Keep working and try to add a few new things each week. I enjoyed the read. God bless.