Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Week(s) (02/10/11)
-
TITLE: The Week Of Monday | Previous Challenge Entry
By Steven Kellen
02/17/11 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
I struggled out of bed and headed to my recliner in the living room hoping for the comfort of a few quiet moments with the Lord. As I dropped into the recliner the jolt quickly reminded me of my stiff neck and the need to move more gently. I clicked on my laptop to find my morning devotional and absent mindedly clicked on Facebook. “What am I doing here?” I thought. I quickly noted a shared file from my future son-in-law titled, “The Art of Manliness.” “Now what kind of garbage is this?” I wondered. Being already stiff and dull of mind I clicked on the link and was quickly drawn into an article by Yasser El Hadari title “Lessons in Manliness from the Egyptian Revolution.” It was an amazingly powerful story of a young dental student from the suburbs of Cairo who had been transformed by the people’s revolution from a fearful and uncertain student to gutsy and patriotic protector of the citizens.
Like most other people Yasser avoided the civil demonstrations when they first broke out. He didn’t want to make himself noticed and to become a target for the henchmen of the government. Yasser was fearful of getting arrested, and detained which could potentially ruin his career. Yasser had wonder what difference one person could make anyway. However, the tactics of the government of hiring thugs and under cover policemen to harass the protestors was going to far. It jarred Yasser out of his apathy and spurred him into action. He joined his neighbors in doing night patrol around the neighborhood armed only with a hunting knife and a hatchet, checking ID’s to catch criminals and other hired thugs. He joined the civil protests, and put his life on the line to protect a popular speaker that was released from detention. Yasser described how the Muslims protected the Christian protestors when they gathered together to pray and how the Christians had protected the Muslims when they prayed. It was an astounding description of the transformation of a young man from being apathetic to being a righteous warrior for the common good.
Reading the article drove me deep into spirited prayer for civilians of Egypt and their struggle against tyranny. I arose from my prayer feeling energized and ready to take on the world!
As I stepped into the laundry room to pick up clean clothes I stepped on a small kibble of dog food the dog had dropped on the floor. The kibble had stuck to the ball of my right foot, so I danced on my left foot as I shook my right foot muttering unsavory words while trying to loosen the kibble. “Wham,” I banged my foot against the door jam specifically whacking the immovable, arthritic, index toe that I had broken 40 years earlier playing soccer in college. The volume of my unsavory words increased dramatically, as did the tempo of my dance routine.
My stiff neck and aching head reminded me it was time to end my ballet practice and get on with my day. I limped off toward the bedroom thinking to myself, “Isn’t it interesting how one little kibble can cause so much disruption and havoc!”
I stepped into the bedroom and walked up beside my wife Kathleen to tell her about my morning hoping to receive a little sympathy. As I did so “Wham!” I banged that same toe into the leg of the dresser. How I kept the unsavory words inside my aching head is beyond me! It must have been divine intervention. Amidst my wife’s tearful laughter I crawled off to my throne-of-rest in the living room in hopes of finding solitude and succor from the Lord. I lowered myself delicately into the recliner thinking, “It’s only 7 AM on Monday morning and it already seems like a week! Lord help me!” I moaned. I dropped my bible into my lap and it opened to Isaiah 57. As I looked down the last verse caught my attention; “There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked.”*
*New King James Version
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.
Loved the read and found your situations very funny.
The ending made it funnier as I always have suspected that God has a sense of humour.Very interesting article re the situation in Egypt.
Well done.