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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Day's End (01/01/14)
(Based on a true story)

It was Tuesday, December 10th, 2013 at approximately 7:10 a.m. The ground was covered with a fine sheet of ice left over from a horrendous winter storm, and it was currently 26 degrees. I was riding on the bus preparing to pick up our second passenger. We turned into a driveway shared by three mobile homes, and my eyes immediately focused on a body lying prone at the end of the driveway.

“There’s a body lying out there,” I said, “Let me off the bus.” The driver opened the door and I hurried down the steps and ran towards the body. The young man was stretched out flat of his back, wearing a black pair of jeans but no shirt and no shoes. His eyes were barely opened and slightly glazed.
“Sir, can you hear me?” I yelled, “Can you hear me?” Then I grabbed his left wrist checking for a radial pulse….but there was no blood beating. I reached up just underneath his jawbone, to the side of the juggler but still found no pulse. His body was still warm so I kept my eyes on his face, looking for some sign of life and quickly delivered one hard blow to the chest right in the middle of the nipple line. I knew the second my fist hit his flesh it was too late. The chest cavity rebounded and body fluids oozed from his nose and mouth. “He’s dead,” I yelled, “Call 911!”

Well, the bus driver had already called 911 and had them on the phone by the time I got back to the bus. He was giving them the directions to our location and they told us to stay put, don’t touch anything and that help was on the way.

While we waited I found out that this man was an invalid. He had some sort of crippling disease and couldn’t even walk. Yet, here he was half naked laid out in his back yard with his wife inside asleep in the bedroom.

Well, after all was said and done, the case was ruled a death by natural causes the very next day. But I still had so many questions! How did an invalid get out of his wheel chair, cross his back porch, go down the steps and end up lying in a prone position, flat of his back, about 30 or 40 yards away from his back door? Why were both doors of the mobile home standing wide open in the middle of winter and how did no one hear him cry out for help?

Then I began to wonder who he was? What kind of life did he lead? What kind of legacy did he leave behind for his family? Did he know Christ as His Savior?

Of course, none of these questions can be answered for sure…and only God knows the truth. And nothing will bring him back to life. But the incident did leave me thinking about legacy and how important it is for all of us. Because someday we will all die. And at the end of the day all that is really going to matter is how we lived our life here on earth, which is just our temporary home.

And God tells us exactly how to live in HIS word, the Holy Bible. Specifically HE tells us in the twelfth chapter of Mark beginning with verse 28, that the most important commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. And the second equally important commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. (NLT paraphrased)

Up until just a few years ago, my own legacy was tarnished and of no use to anyone. But thank God literally, I never gave up and HE never gave up on me! Now, I can honestly say that it’s not about me anymore it’s about HIM and what HE did for me. It’s about how much HE loves us, cares for us and provides for us. Only God sees the big picture, past, present, and future and how we respond and yield our lives to HIM will be the legacy we leave behind not only at the end of each day but for an eternity!
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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This article has been read 646 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Jan Ackerson
01/10/14
I’d love to have your input into the free writing lessons available on the FaithWriters forums. This week’s lesson is on writing devotionals, and next week will cover writing on topic for the weekly challenge. Look for it at http://www.faithwriters.com/Boards/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=67, or if you’re on Facebook, you can “like” Faithwriters Writing Lessons.
C D Swanson 
01/10/14
Wow, what an amazing segue into a powerful close. That poor man lying prone on the ground made me so sad, but the significant message your conveyed pulled it all together in a tolerable and peaceful way.

God bless~
lynn gipson 
01/11/14
Up until a few years ago,my own legacy was tarnished also. This is a fascinating true account of what you experienced. Well written and I beg the same question. What happened? Great writing here.
Jim Newton
01/13/14
I truly liked this story. It covered an area of Christianity that I think is extremely important, legacy. Write with and about emotion, and you can never go wrong.
Jan Ackerson
01/13/14
This was fascinating, and it definitely left me wanting more.

A small but important correction: you wanted "jugular" instead of "juggler."

I'd love to know the rest of the story--not just about this poor man, but about your legacy, and why it was tarnished. It's the sign of a good writer--to leave your reader slightly in suspense. Well done!