Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: CALENDAR (10/20/16)
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TITLE: GOD'S TIMING | Previous Challenge Entry
By Robert Rutaagi
10/25/16 -
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From genesis to revelation, the Bible teems with figurative speeches. Even after discounting the effect they have on readers’ understanding and putting into consideration the fact that God is Omni-potent, scient, present, loving, forgiving and providing, even His calendar invokes wonderment in my belief system.
For God, a thousand years are like one day! Psalms 90:4; 2 Peter 3:8. That puts one year at 0.1% or 2.4 hours only. That means that my 70 years are equivalent to 25.6 days only. Assuming I live to be 120 years, that gives me 43.8 days [1 month + 13 days and 19 hours only].
Given the above calendar arithmetic, how much time does man have to live to fulfill God’s purpose? Should we ask many questions to God or, simply, surrender to His grace and will?
On 05 September, 2016, I went upcountry to bury my niece. At a tender age of 30, Stella had prematurely succumbed to cancer, leaving two children - seven and five years old.
During eulogies that went on for many hours, speaker after speaker, lamented about the limited span of life and the prevalent life-threatening famine caused by severe climate change.
The burial ceremony was presided over by an Archdeacon, accompanied by several Parish Priests and lay leaders.
Amongst family members, relatives and friends, were people from all walks of life and different age groups. The oldest was the deceased’s aunt – Rhoda [92 years], uncle Lamuel [90 years], myself [70 years] and many others.
Mourners wondered why God could allow young people like Stella to die while elderly and sickly persons unhappily lived on to be septuagenarians like Rhoda and Lamuel.
Before the advent of climate change, rains would start in late July and by mid-August, they would have stabilized to allow farmers to plant various crops. But now it was 5th September without hope of rain.
The dry season was so severe that animals were dying and all crops had dried up. Wells had dried up, too. To get water, people had to travel long distances to fetch dirty brown water for cooking, bathing, washing clothes and drinking.
This is why speakers were lamenting about premature death and climate change. They were appealing to God to intervene in good time to meet their needs – life and water. As the WHO’s slogan goes ‘water is life’.
By grace of God, I happen to be Chairperson of a Government National Agency Boardresponsible meteorology. When my turn to speak came, I introduced myself as the Chairperson responsible for weather and climate, emphasizing ‘rain, air, temperature and sunshine’ which the rural people understand better than meteorology.
“Fellow mourners, as Christians, we believe that it is God who gives us the gift of life. But He is the same God who takes life as He wills in His own time”, I told my eager listeners.
After posing for effect, I continued:
“God has taken our daughter, Stella but He has preserved her father who is 90, her aunt who is 92, her other uncle [absent] who is 95 and me who is 70 and you all”.
My statement sent mumurs to the attentive audience. At this juncture, the Holy Spirit guided me to witness for Christ.
“Before I received salvation, I was full of fear, blind ambitions, anxiety, doubt and unbelief but after salvation, I trust God and I have more faith in Him.
The same God who created you and me, in His own image, has granted us the free gift of life which He guards according to His own timing. The same God, will give you rain within two weeks. Just have faith in Him. May the soul of Stella rest in eternal peace.”
As I resumed my seat, more murmurs went around and all eyes focused on an educated man who had degenerated to a rural-like weatherman.
The last to speak was the Archdeacon who preached about life in Jesus and kept on referring to my speech, not because I had convinced him but because he thought my messages about my salvation and unexpected involvement in weather matters at advancing age, were quite an intriguing combination.
That evening, at 6 pm, heavy rain came. As the funeral progressed beyond burial, many people surrounded me to ask more questions about salvation and climate change. Six people gave their lives to Christ.
The following day, at 6 pm, it rained again. After that, for two weeks, there was no rain until the season started.
NON-FICTION
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I felt that the beginning of this bogged down and bit, and that the very interesting part began at the fourth paragraph. There were several other places where some tightening would make this a more engaging read, but all in all this is a strong entry, particularly for Level One.
I've noticed when writing true stories, I can easily bog the reader down with details that are important to me, but not necessarily to the reader. It's a really difficult thing to do, but often clipping off some of those details will leave room for dialog, body language, and even thoughts.
You've a great start, and I encourage you to keep on writing and reading other challenge entries. I'd like to challenge you to comment on at least two entries in each level. By figuring out what you like or don't like in others, allows you to see those same things in your own writings. You have a great deal of wisdom to share. I love that you testified at a funeral. What better place to do so than one where Jesus' love is so desperately needed to help comfort those aching hearts. Good job.
The sower speaks of seed being sown into different soils - some good but others not good.His word, though, will not come back to him void. It will yield fruit - hopefully fruit from the good soil.
Thank you for your family story - well told. Our example may be the light to light the path towards the good soil where the seed may germinate and grow 30, or 60 or 100 fold.
I agree with others about a better beginning would have been at about the fourth paragraph.
Your writing is very clear, but I also agree you could tighten it up eliminating unnecessary or duplicate information.
Here is an example to consider for your paragraphs beginning with "During eulogies" and ending with "Mourners wondered..." :
Eulogies during the burial ceremony went on for many hours and included a variety of speakers from all walks of life and age groups. Aunt Rhoda and Uncle Lamuel, both septuagenarians, numerous friends, and other lay persons, lamented about the limited span of life and the prevalent life-threatening famine caused by severe climate change. They and other mourners wondered why God would allow young people like Stella to die while allowing elderly and sickly persons to continue in unhappy lives.
I hope this is helpful- just a suggestion on how to keep the same thought content and points, but in a more concise manner. I received this same advice when a beginner and it proved to be very helpful indeed.
Keep writing! A few tweeks is all you need.