Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: PUZZLE (11/24/16)
-
TITLE: You might be right, but you could be wrong | Previous Challenge Entry
By Judy Ewald
12/01/16 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
Recently I was in a conversation about our local Farmers Market. We have had a Saturday Market for years, now we have a Sunday market at the same location. I used to go the Sunday Market at the mall when I went to Church at the Mall. Yes that was the name of the church, we met in the theaters. This elderly lady was saying it was nice for the Saturday farmers to come on Sunday too. I was trying to explain that it was the ones from the mall market not the ones from Saturday . I found myself determined to get her to understand it was a different group. I finally gave up.
The next morning on the way to church, I heard God say, “You might have been right, but you were wrong.” I knew right away it was not that important for me to convince her she needed to know the truth. We can be right and still be wrong. It seemed like a puzzle to me, how can we be right and wrong at the same time.
An example of wanting to be right but acting wrong is the time my Dad tried to tell how a man lost a large amount of weight. He was sharing that the man did this by eating half as much as he used to or maybe every other day. Mom kept interrupting trying to correct him. Finally she said, “John, you are wrong.” Dejected Dad said “Shirley you are always right, I’m wrong.” I really felt his pain, it is not easy living with a person who is ‘perfect.’ Mom really wanted to do good, but she had to be right. By the time I was nineteen I wrote in large letters in my diary “I AM A FAILURE.” Believing this caused me to not always make healthy choices at times.
In my professional life I am Hugs the Clown. In the early years I met a magician and started performing with him. Before I met him I was in several “new age” occult practices trying to find meaning and truth. He being a magician and former minister knew I was lost. I had never read the Bible so on the way to our day jobs I would read the New Testament. As I read he would explain things, then start a fight as I got out to go to work. He was a drug addict and in the beginning I thought “god” and I were going to save him. It became an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. I was either his saving angle or the devil. It was definitely a puzzle living with him.
I see God as the one who creates the big picture, like a puzzle in some ways. He can see all the pieces of our lives and how they fit or not fit with other people. We can only see parts of His amazing design. Some times we think we are working out our puzzles, and other times we have no idea where the next piece goes. God knew I was really looking for truth, even though I would pick the wrong puzzle piece at times. He was directing my path all along. In that relationship I learned I had a talent for art and painting, I also became a true professional entertainer.
After 5 years God finally got through to me, I must have a hard head, I can not save anyone and I sure could not fix or save myself. He delivered me from that relationship and we even made peace years later. I did not want to harbor hurt and resentment, so with God’s help I forgave him. It does seem like a puzzle that he would give me a new life in Him out of that horrible time in my life.
But I would not change a thing.
There seems to be puzzles in the Bible. One puzzle, to really live you have to die. Jesus says we must give up the right to ourselves and put Him in charge. When I do I am always right and never wrong.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
God bless~
My biggest red ink would be the overuse of the word puzzle. You can be spot on topic without ever using the topic word. Perhaps next time, pull out the thesaurus and use other words like perplex, baffled, mystify.
You did nail the topic and you have a clear message. I enjoyed the piece from beginning to end. I think you have a lot of passion and potential. I'd like to challenge you to read and comment on every entry in your level, then pop up to 3 and 4 and read and comment on five in those levels. The more you read and leave constructive feedback, the better writer you will become. You have some important things to say and the world needs to hear it.
As our hearts want to do things we know is right, God can provide the right time and place for us to put the pieces together so our relation with God smooths out as we learn what Jesus wants us to do and we don't fight it.
Nice writing.
Are you still Hugs the Clown? I struggled a bit with that paragraph figuring out past from present.
I think you meant to write angel not angle.
I hope you keep writing because you have a lot of life experiences to share with the rest of us.
I found that this piece lacked focus--the first few paragraphs seemed to have one message, then there was another take-away in the middle, and still another lesson at the end. It would be more effective if all of your examples, illustrations, and experiences pointed toward the same take-away for the reader. As it was, I felt a bit bounced around.
I think you have much to share and hope you continue to write.