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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Dignity (04/25/24)
“You are altogether beautiful, my darling, beautiful in every way.”
(Song of Solomon 4:7, NLT)



I saw her and I almost could have missed her. It was only a short glimpse. I was hiding behind the foyer wall, holding the wall tightly with my fingers. Maybe I was afraid of what I was seeing, afraid I would fall. She came hidden in the night, crying desperately to be rescued. She was running, running away from the one who hurt her and kept on doing it. She was looking for salvation, for a safe place where she could hide, be received, mended and put together. Perhaps she was not thinking clearly and this is only what my heart believed. She was naked, stripped of all that was hers, exiled, humiliated and shamed. But grace came that night in the form of a darkness that hid her. She was alive. Bleeding and torn, yes, but alive.

She was beautiful in spite of the wounds on her skin and the tears and dirt on her face. Oh! how so so beautiful she was. Even a fearful five year old could see it. How could others not? That question would haunt me the rest of my life. She was wounded and punished, but she was running towards life. She was fleeing towards a safe place. A quiet place where she could be, where she could melt and feel the ground under her feet again. She needed the ground to hold her before she could leap and fly, because those seeds were already planted in her heart. She was fierce in the night. She was fighting to survive, to love, to believe.

A door was opened to her, a hand extended. She was heard. She was seen, her nakedness covered with a white silk robe. A delicate white robe stained with the blood that was both life and pain. I never knew who she was and always wonder it to this day. She came quickly and just as quickly she left. But she lives forever in my mind, for how could I ever forget? I could never fully describe all that she was and all that she brought. I saw her worth, her love, her fight for life. The white and the red, purity merged with love. These could not be taken from her, not even by the hatred unleashed on her skin, which bled. There was no other way for her, being who she was.

I still see her in other ways, in other places. I carry her with me, catching glimpses of her here and there. Each time I meet her she is just as brave and beautiful, shining in her many ways. Still breaking, but asking and searching, her hope flourishing time and time again. She blooms season after season, like a flower that is both resilient and gentle. She is still pulling me in with her simple beauty, helping me see, pointing towards the radiant light and leading me always to a better way.

Note: This is fiction, inspired by some true events.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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This article has been read 226 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Dennis Gallemore
05/04/24
Powerful writing.
Philippa Geaney
05/05/24
Arresting and haunting. I see the Challenge topic embedded in the woman’s beauty coupled with her bold advance.
The white covering with the red for pain is stunning.
I don’t think I should add my only thought of adjustment as the apprehension of the woman’s worth is captivating- but for what it’s worth I would have not repeated the emotion the child was feeling so dramatically- so often. Your writing achieved it, captured it, went on to repeat it often - trust the reader to be with you from the first wonderful paragraph.
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
05/07/24
This is a haunting piece. You have some incredible descriptions that evoke powerful emotions. Be careful of subtle POV shifts. Instead of telling she ran from someone who hurt her, show how you know that with body language, dialog, and thoughts. Subtle things like this can really pull your reader in even more. You did a nice job of writing on topic. I look forward to reading more of your work. I also like the verse you selected. It's a great fit. Normally, I might suggest you don't start with Scripture (unfortunately many might jump over pieces that do), but this time it worked nicely.