Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: ANGELS WATCHING OVER ME (don’t write about the song) (06/04/15)
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TITLE: Claiming Miracles | Previous Challenge Entry
By Grace Teoxon
06/07/15 -
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Let me tell you my stories.
One examination week in high school, I and some classmates decided to study out in the field. Each found a spot and I chose to sit under a coconut tree. We concentrated on our readings and without any thought I draw my chair forward and then … a loud thudding sounded at my back. Startled, I turned and saw a fallen coconut exactly where I sat before. My classmate nearest to me, had horror pasted on his face with his mouth open. He saw the coconut falling and opened his mouth to alert me but no words came … and just as it would have cracked my head, saw me pull my chair forward.
What made me pull myself out of danger? Was it a nudge from an angel? It must be as there was no reason to do what I did. It was scary but there was no intellectualizing about it. Through the ages people know, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways (Psalm 91:11, NIV).”
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We lived in a mountain town and I had to go down to the capital town to attend a meeting. With four small children to watch over, my husband and I decided that the two girls would stay with his parents while he and the two boys would go to the farmhouse.
I was lunching out with colleagues when we heard the whirring of helicopters above.
“Hey,” I told them, “usually when this happens, the helicopters are off to my town.” In the 70s-80s, it was haven for the insurgents and marked code Red by the military.
The Governor’s driver came and seeing me, “Your town was attacked, there had been fighting. Those helicopters are going there to get the wounded or casualties.” We left in a hurry in search of the province’ radio operator for news - thankfully, my family was safe, and only few soldiers were wounded.
I was home the next day and saw how closely we escaped harm, perhaps, even death. Our house was just three lots away from the municipal hall that is beside the police headquarters and the military barracks. The insurgents fired a rocket or something but instead of landing at the barracks, it ended three meters away from our bedrooms. It scoured the earth a few inches deep, splinters pockmarked the bedroom walls and broke a mirror inside. If I didn’t leave town, we would have been all in there to become another sorry statistic to a senseless political struggle. A neighbor lying on the floor in his house stood up and just missed seconds from having his head hit as a splinter entered the wall where his head was. He jumped into a canal dug for water pipes leading to my house, crawled and clawed his way down to our big fox hole, joining other neighbors holed in there.
Coincidence, others say; but it is said there are no coincidences. What matters is that God in His gracious mercy commanded His angels to protect us. And we really felt surrounded, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them (Psalm.34:7, NIV).
I wish I could say that I had an AHA moment in my walk with the Lord. It took many years, December 4, 2012 in fact, when a very strong typhoon hit two provinces. A village at the foot of a mountain was totally obliterated; over a thousand died and many unaccounted for. But for the grace of God, I and two other researchers would have been there as it was our project site.
God created a beautiful world for us; unfortunately, we abuse the earth that sustains us. Nature has its way but miracles also happen to illumine a tragic incident. Our tribal coordinator and his children died, except for his three-year old child. She was found alive atop of her mother’s cemented casket. How she escaped the flood of water, boulders, mud, and logs, only God knows.
God works in mysterious way we can never fathom. We can take heart that His ministering angels are ever present to guide and protect us.
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Non-fiction
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I like your use of vocabulary. It gives your writing more precise meaning.
Although most of your grammar is very good, it is correct to put "I" last when grouped with another person. (my colleague and I)
Well done!
My main red ink would be to delete the first paragraph. You don't need to tell the reader what you're going to do, instead just do it. Likewise with the message. You don't need to summarize it because you do a great job of showing the reader your message with your words.
I can see that you might think the beginning helped to link the stories together, but instead you could start the new one with something like Another time God sent his angel to protect me was when I lived in a mountain town...
I think you did a fine job of helping me realize how blessed I am to live where I do. I can't imagine things like you described, but your story did make me stop and pray for someone who is huddled in her house right now terrified. I don't know her name but God does. Perhaps some stranger thousands of miles away was also praying for you without knowing it. God is so awesome in those ways. Thank you for lightening my self-pity and helping me focus on others who are persevering through situations I can hardly imagine.
Or, as we often hear - show, don't just tell.