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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Ow! (01/07/10)
Oh, Wow!


The quiet of the night was abruptly disrupted by a terrified scream. I sat bolt upright in my bed, shaking with terror. My husband grabbed for me, pulling me into a protective embrace; talking calmly to me, assuring me everything was okay. It was then that I realized the scream I had heard was my scream, and then I remembered what was causing me to panic, and cry out in desperation. My son was in danger. I didn’t know what the danger was, but there was no consoling me. “God, help him, help him,” was all I could cry. The terror did not subside, and I spent the night praying for my son with no idea why. Two weeks passed, and my son returned from the oil rigs. He told us of the night when his rig hit a sour well. He described the danger of being killed in a matter of seconds from poisonous gas, and how he was sure he was a goner. He described hitting the ground, bouncing up and running. It turned out the sour well was the same night I woke up terrified for my son’s life. “Oh wow!” (OW!) God was with my son, and he was standing in front of me alive and well.

The wind was raging and the air was loaded with moisture. We watched in horror as the wind drove a wall of blinding rain towards us. We were sitting ducks in the middle of the Caribbean facing an oncoming squall as a hurricane built up around us. My husband shortened the sails and I steered the boat and prayed. I hung on for dear life, petrified at I watched helplessly calling out to God for protection. The squall veered away from us, the wind died, and we were suddenly in calm water with dolphins swimming around our boat. Before the day was over we experienced this five times. “Oh wow! (OW!) God calmed the storm five times for us.

“Call 911!” I screamed as I desperately struggled to support my husband as he fell unconscious to the ground. I could not find a pulse. My husband lay lifeless on the floor of one of our local stores. As I started processing my way through the first aid knowledge I had, I distinctly remember yelling for God to help us. As I reached forward to start compressions, my husband went into convulsions, which terrified me, and I forgot all the first aid training I had. Grabbing my husband’s shoulders, I shook him vigorously declaring that he was not to die. He was to hang in there, as the ambulance was on its way. “God help us, God help us.” That was all the first aid I could give. My husband’s hand feebly reached up and touched the tears running down my cheek. My husband survived and the man who had come to help me declared, “That’s the weirdest first aid I have ever seen!” “Oh wow! (OW!) God was on the floor with us.

It’s your choice. Experience the ow, and feel its hurt; or search for the wow, and heal the ow.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Colin Swann
01/15/10
Interesting accounts of God's help in adversity. Lots of Christians have been woken in the night to pray - thanks for reminding us in this meaningful story.
Colin
Amanda Brogan
01/18/10
Prayer is a powerful thing! In trouble and in good times, the very best thing for us to do is cry out to the Lord. Love how you tied these accounts together! Great job.
Jan Ackerson
01/18/10
Gripping stories!

I've started a class in the FaithWriters forums for Beginner and Intermediate writers. I'd love to see you there--look for "Jan's Writing Basics".

Your writing really drew me in.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
03/29/10
I really like your last line. it is an excellent metaphor for life in general. We can spend all of our time lamenting the ows in our life or praise God for the miraculous way he changes an ow into a wow.

This is excellent and I'd love to see it in a devotion book. You might have to tighten the word count a bit (most like under 300 words) but I'm sure you could find a Bible reading and add a prayer. It is a lesson so many people need to hear. Outstanding job.