The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: SPARKLE (08/19/21)
Paula finally got a few days off from her busy schedule. Seeking peace and quiet, she decided to visit her grandma in her home by the lake. As she drove down the familiar countryside, her heart filled with love for her beloved grandma. She remembered the Bible stories she told, the hymns she taught and the food she cooked. But most of all she remembered her grandma's passion for her Bible.

Grandma Bertha's face beamed with happiness as she welcomed Paula. Soon they were sitting on the porch drinking tea and munching Bertha's delicious cookies. They laughed as they shared happy memories. The honeysuckle creeper on the terrace, the swing on the oak tree,and the fragrance of roses and lilacs still held the magic spell of Paula's childhood.As she glanced around , Paula saw her grandma's old Bible on the side table.

" Do you still read that Bible, Grandma?" Paula asked.

"Yes, I do, my dear, every day. It gives me peace and joy", Bertha said.

"I can't imagine how you can read the same book over and over for
more than fifty years. I would be bored", Paula confessed.

" Oh, no, my darling child. The Bible is not boring. It is new and exciting every time you read it. You have t o search the scriptures and meditate on what you read and you will discover an ever flowing fountain of wisdom and truth", Bertha smiled.

"Grandma, I once read the book on Genesis.(Chapter 5. KJV). I read a whole chapter and it was all about 'begats' - so and so was - - years when he begat so and so - he lived --years after and died ' - it went on and on till the end. Tell me is anything more boring tha that", Paula asked.

" Reading the Bible is like excavating for diamonds," Bertha explained, "Let's start with the diamond mine, the Bible. You begin by excavating, reading. The first time you read it you are familiar with only one word ,Noah. You continue digging. You find that one name is repeated three times and this person, Enoch,m does not die like the others.It is as if you found a lump of coal. The light sparkles through a crack in that caol. Now you are intrigued. So you clean up the coal and come up with a piece of glass. You have to take it to an expert.

"In the same way you have to seek the the expertise of the Holy Spirit to understand the scriptures. Like the diamond cutter, the Holy Spirit, cuts and polishes the scriptures until you see the diamond sparkle in the colors of the rainbow."

"Okay, that is a good interpretation, Grandma, but what does this teach me? How does this affect my life? What do I do with this diamond of truth?" Paula asked.

"You have to continue digging, my dear. The Holy Spirit will reveal to you the hidden truth. You will find that twice it is mentioned that Enoch walked with God. When you walk with God, you choose to let him lead you. He controls where you are going. He walks with you and guides you safely through life and after into eternity. Remember it is your choice," Bertha explained .

"Wow, that's a powerful message, Grandma, and very interesting. I would never have expected to find it I the 'chapter of begats!' Now I See why the Bible is so precious to you. Hereafter I too will read the Bible and search for sparkling diamonds. Thank you very much, Grandma", Paula promised.

"Bless you, my child. Remember that diamonds will not sparkle unless they are cut."



Fiction
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.
This article has been read 266 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Laura Manley
08/28/21
I enjoyed your take on the word of the week for this challenge. It was a different approach and I appreciate that in writings. I would suggest that if you are not using a gramma/punctuation guide, you should do so. I found several places in your entry that needed either punctuation changes or words used where you meant another. But, that said, it certainly does not spoil the fine story you told in this nicely written piece. Blessings!
C D Swanson 
08/28/21
Great job with the topic, well done. It held my interest from the start, to the powerful wrap up.

Blessings~
Sue Botte 
08/30/21
Fiction worth reading twice. Thank you for taking the time to write the entry. Although well crafted, there are a few grammar and punctuation mistakes, perhaps just an oversight. I enjoyed your entry. Keep writing.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
08/31/21
This is a great piece. I could feel the emotions and almost the desperation in Paula. I enjoyed the exchange with Grandma and the message.
Amy Swift
09/01/21
Absolutely wonderful writing. Diamonds will not sparkle unless they are cut. What an awesome way to end your story.
Philippa Geaney
09/01/21
This was wonderful. So on topic and yet in no way cookie cut. It made me want to drop everything and run for my Bible too. And it affirmed my role in sometimes cooking, always loving and praying for my own grandbabies.
Thank you.