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Topic: COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS (Don't write about the song) (04/16/15)
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TITLE: How the Grinch Stole my Blessings (and how I took them back) | Previous Challenge Entry
By Amy Gaudette
04/22/15 -
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(and how I took them back)
It was the fall of 2008, a real looker by any Mainer's opinion. The skies were brilliant seashell blue. Maple trees waved stop signs to summer in their flamboyant leaves of red. The grass still deep green from a generous summer's rainfall stood in friendly contrast to the bright cheerfulness of autumn's sun. All seemed well and our larders should have been full to overflowing with the summers harvest. The year had started out so full of plenty and promise. It was about to end in what seemed like utter futility.
In 2007 we had made a major life change. We went from a small but stable paycheck from a local grocery store, to selling our home and moving in to a fixer upper. Our goal was to restore it completely, then sell it and move on to our next one. All in hopes of getting ahead, and being better prepared for our growing family. My husband also started working fix-it jobs for hire, and we did property management for a few rental units a couple of towns over. We were amazed at the monthly paychecks that came in – thrilled really. It seemed that God had blessed the work of our hands, and anything was possible. We had found an alive church, and my husband was helping out on the kids' worship team. Pieces of the puzzle were falling together and a beautiful tapestry was being woven. It was very hard work, but blessings overflowed like a spring river, and we knew all was well.
2008 will be infamous in the memory of many, my family included. I didn't even know anyone who had been foreclosed on, let alone ever entertained the idea it could possibly happen to us, but it did. In a few short months, we went from paying bills to figuring out how to buy groceries. Every door slammed close with a jarring bang that seemed to rattle every bone in my body. All jobs that had been on the calender were canceled due to the “economy”. The owner of our rental units had to foreclose and couldn't pay us. Our own home lost thousands in equity, and we could not sell it.
I was petrified. Horrified. We couldn't go bankrupt. It was unthinkable. Surely God would not give to us and then take away? There must be something around the corner that would save us from such humiliation. All those blessed days and plans and dreams soured and fermented, leaving us with a very sick feeling in our stomachs as well as our spirits. I hung my head and could feel myself falling into pieces.
I had a choice. Realization hit me very hard. It was time to set my face as flint and put my hand in God's, and trust. It was time to see all we still had, and measure our blessings that were still overflowing if I had eyes to see. We moved in with my parents, and I spent a wonderful few years spending time with my mom. I will always treasure that time working with her in the garden, and sharing precious moments. I will always remember my six year old daughter's dream she had of a fire that raged around us, but angels kept us safe. I will never forget when our van died, and someone who did not even know us gave us a Mitsubishi! I will cherish the time God healed my daughter of a intestinal virus when we had no money to even put gas in our vehicle! And the blessings of the Most High go on and on and on . . .
One bleak moment it seemed that the Grinch had robbed us of all the blessings we had waited so long to see, and the next moment we saw that God had given us a completely different set of blessings, each one ours to receive or reject. We chose to receive them. And I can say with great joy, our blessings still go on and on and on . . .
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A couple of your sentences were confusing to me:
We went from a small but stable paycheck (from a local grocery store), to selling our home and moving (in) to a fixer upper.
We went from a small but stable paycheck, to selling our home and moving to a fixer upper.
I will cherish the time God healed my daughter of a intestinal virus when we had no money to even put in our vehicle.
I will cherish the time God healed my daughter of an intestinal virus. Without even gas money, my parents decided to pay the doctor's bill.
It is truly amazing how God directs all of our steps!
Be careful not to fall into the purple prose trap. Some of your descriptions are too flowery or come off as a cliché. Sometimes simpler is better. I don't normally read comments from others before I comment myself, but I did glance over the first one. While I agree that those sentences may need to be tightened some, the examples weren't spot on. In the first one, you wouldn't need a comma before the word to. I would tighten that line up to something like this: We went from receiving a small but stable grocery store paycheck to buying a house with the intentions of fixing it up and reselling it for a profit. The way the second example was written, it sounds like the parents didn't have money for gas. I only point these out to show that the more you can tweak your work, the better it'll be in the end. It also shows how different people can have different opinions, and it's important for you (and God) to discover which way works best for you.
I think you did a nice job of writing on topic. You touched my heart with your story of Faith and perservance. God is truly amazing and you did a nice job of showcasing that.
I respond to messages/stories that come from the heart, and this one is all heart!
Thank you for your story.
God bless~
My apologies to the author.
I think it would be helpful if Faithwriters would teach a class on critiquing and editing.
God bless~
I couldn't be happier. Your story really spoke from the heart.