Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Gifts (of the Spirit or service) (11/22/07)
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TITLE: Boredom Busting Bible | Previous Challenge Entry
By Nathan Perkins
11/24/07 -
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“Hmmm, the doors open, but where is the intruder? I guess I better go check on things.”
With that thought he swung his legs down groggily and headed down the hall to the front entrance, where the door had apparently opened.
“Hello! …Anybody out there? Hello, this is security. You need to check in with me.”
There was no answer.
“Hello! You’re not supposed to be here without calling or checking in.”
A mouse shot across the floor sending a shrill through Albert’s spine.
“Jeepers, little guy, you just about gave me a hart attack.”
This bit of adventure would make the night seem to pass quicker.
“Night Watchman, what a job! I just sit and sit and sit some more. The only thing I can’t do is go to sleep. I wonder what Cliff does on the nights when he works.”
Albert returned to the office. But instead of sitting at his own boring desk, he sat down in Cliff’s seat.
“Let’s see…”
He pulled open Cliff’s desk drawer, to look inside. He wasn’t just being snoopy. He was trying to kill the boredom.
As he thumbed through the contents of the drawer he came across three items that seemed to strike him as indicators of the kind of person Cliff was. There was a Yoyo, a picture of three girls, that Al assumed to be Cliff’s daughters, and there was a bible.
“Hmmm, Cliffs got some reading material. He probably won’t mind if I borrow it for a few hours. He’s got to understand how hard it is to sit around every night just watching time pass.”
The rest of the night was way too uneventful. There wasn’t a sound. Albert had flipped the bible open to the middle, just to see what he would find. He had never even held a bible before.
“The eyes of the Lord search throughout the world, looking for those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
“I guess that’d be Cliff.”
Al flipped through the bible again to read, “Greater love has no man then the one who lays down his life for a friend.”
He thought about that for a minute and wondered if there was anyone he would lay his life down for. “I’ll bet Cliff would lay his life down for his girls.”
Al flipped and flipped through the book. Occasionally he would come across profound nuggets that provoked a moment of thought, but he couldn’t shake the concept of someone dying for another person.
After the long night ended, Al carefully placed the bible back into Cliff’s desk and left him a note. “Cliff, I got real bored, so I borrowed your bible. I hope you don’t mind, Al.”
Three days later, Albert came into work and plopped down at his own desk to see a gift.
“Weird”, he thought. “Who would give me a gift? I don’t even know anyone around here.”
He picked it up and read the attached note:
“Dear Albert, I’m sorry we don’t know each other better. I thought that you might be interested in having a bible of your own. If you already own one, just give this one to someone else. These nights at work sure can get long. The bible has really been a life saver for me. My favorite place to read is the book of John. One night while I was at work, I read through it and meet the most amazing person I have ever read about. Since that day, I have discovered that Jesus is for real. I hope you get to know him, too. Have a good night at work, Cliff.
“I wonder where this book of John is.”
He went right to the front and found the chapter index with a corresponding page number. So, he turned to it, threw his legs up onto the desk and started to read.
This gift would have a life changing impact on Albert. It would not just be a gift. It would be the gift of eternal life. Because soon Albert would learn that Jesus laid down his life for him.
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FYI--"Bible" should always be capitalized. I wonder if it'd have slightly more impact if this story ended with him starting to read from John, without the last sentence. You've written your story well--the reader knows what's going to happen--consider leaving them with that note of hope, rather than with the obvious conclusion. Just a bit more dramatic that way.