Rapid Knock | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Rapid Knock | Previous Challenge Entry
By susan woolen
04/13/10
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Rapid Knock

The sharp, steely points of two swords clash in battle and there is violence, antagonism, and destruction. The shiny point of a Christian writer’s pen meets paper and wisdom, inspiration, and hope are conveyed.

Lonely and deeply troubled, seventeen year-old Jack heard the court judge order him to live in the stark, grey-walled Boys Home for wayward boys, near where the crimes occurred. Jack had stolen money, broken into several homes and a church, and threatened more harm with a steely knife, his own sword. Destruction and antagonism had become Jack’s way of surviving an abusive home life.

Pursuing a degree in education, I volunteered to work at the Home with the hope of gaining a deeper understanding of troubled teens. Abused as a child, I wanted to help others who had similar experiences. Little did I realize then the help that I would receive.

The supervisor of the Home agreed to let me talk with Jack but vehemently warned me not to trust him, that he was a skilled liar and a bold thief.

-Always watch your purse and never be alone with him, he admonished.

Feeling alittle fearful, I considered leaving but walked instead into the dim living room of the Home. Tall and slim with jet black hair and blue eyes, Jack stood waiting. He grinned and immediately wanted to talk.

-Don’t believe a word he says, the supervisor smirked and left the room.

Nonetheless, I listened to Jack and something deep in my heart went to him.

- I broke into a church and stole all their food, but I left a note that someday I would come back and pay for it, he told me openly.

Could I believe him?

Over the next several weeks, Jack and I spent time together sharing hamburgers or tacos, walking in the nearby parks, and laughing over card games. He told me about his unhappy life that weighed heavily on his mind and about the recent abandonment by his family. He ached to change his life to the good but didn’t know how.

Always a gentleman, Jack never worried me with his behavior.

Sadly, Jack was unexpectedly moved to another boys’ facility and I lost tract of him for a long time.

One quiet night as I sat at my kitchen table immersed in reading, there came a sharp , rapid knock at the front door. Stunned, I opened the door to a beaming and very excited Jack standing along side a tall, smiling man

-Remember the church where I stole their food? This is the minister and I want you to meet him! Jack almost shouted with glee.

Craddled in Jack’s arms was his Bible. Its written words had changed his life and he had returned to share the joy with me. The minister confirmed that yes, Jack had paid for the food and now belonged to the church.

As we talked into the night, I felt a deep desire to know more about God’s blessed power as I saw how He had touched Jack’s life.

Jack no longer needed his knife sword. He lived now by the Ultimate Words penned in the Bible.

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