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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: TRUTH (08/31/23)
In her front yard Elizabeth sits under the shade of the oak tree reading her bible. There’s a delightful breeze rustling through the oak leaves that seems to calms her heart. She hums a tune and sings the words on a hill far away. Looking across the field to the top of the hill where her ancestors in the 1800’s built the little stone church.

“Lord are you still there?” There‘s sound of guilt in her voice. “I did not let my voice be heard, Lord I’m sorry.”

A tear of regret falls from her eyes as she recalls that fateful 9 to 4 vote. The next day the doors were locked and a big sign read ‘FOR SALE’. In her heart this was unthinkable. Seven generations of various families over the years have celebrated their children being baptized, confirmed and married.

Truth is your family had to have been part of this generational heritage to understand why the four voted no. We have always been a small congregation; a small family of members who stuck together. We always thought we could survive any storm. So when Covid hit we had to close. There was no logical way we could implement all the protocols. So we just gave up!

What is truth she wonders to herself? Our young pastor had the grand vision of preaching in front of a large congregation. Right from day one he expressed his opinion, “I’m not preaching to a few people.”

He spent the last years of his tenure hounding that thought of closure into the minds of each member. And they say the battle is not in the mind. Who’s fooling who she thought?

His strategy was divide and conquer. Eventfully the real truth of why we could remain open became hidden. Everyone had their own personal agendas. Why the church should be closed. The members were getting older, we had no children left, is easier to go to a church in town, fear of the costs of expenditures in an old church building. The membership dwindled over the years, some had died, others including Elizabeth too sick to attend the services and several others were moving away.

In Elizabeth’s mind those reasons were not the actual truth. And the irony to this whole story; we gave all our assets including $100,000 dollars to help another small church stay open. Guess who’s their pastor?

Elizabeth knows that all through the generations the word was preached in her little stone church. Her heart knows the message Jesus is the word. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through His son, Christ Jesus.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Avigail David
09/12/23
I do hope that Elizabeth and her pastor-husband get their $100k and equity back from the sale of the old building and property. God is truthful to those who love and serve Him and will not leave them forsaken and abandoned.

God bless you for sharing this hard reality of life in the ministry.