Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Facepalm (05/15/14)
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TITLE: God Cares | Previous Challenge Entry
By Hazel Robinson
05/20/14 -
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In our everyday lives, events often occur which cause us to act or react in many different ways. In the case of death, especially a child, or some other heartbreaking catastrophe, our actions, or reactions, might be to hang our heads with our hands on each side of our face, while tears flow with prayers to God for help. On the other hand, the event might be a joyful one! Still, the tears come, but these are tears of joy; but, the hands are again positioned each side of the face; thus, the action/reaction is called “facepalm.”
Writing this brings to my mind a story once told to me. There was a woman who lived, as the story went, a very sinful life. She was always saying that nothing ever worked for her. Then the woman started going to church. Sometimes the songs and sermon brought tears to her eyes as her mind took her back to some of the things she had either done, or had not done. During these times guilt would take over, and almost consume her! Invariably she would hang her head and automatically her hands would go to her face, as the tears flowed freely down her checks.
One Sunday the pastor read from 1 Corinthians 10:13, “There hath no temptation taken you but such is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able, but will, with the temptation, make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” He then read the words from Mark 4:9, “Those who have ears - let them hear!” This woman heard the words clearly! She not only heard then with her ears, she received them in her heart!
The woman jumped up from her seat and ran to the altar, grabbed the pastor’s hand, and with the tears still flowing, she looked him full in the face and said, “Pastor, what you read from the Bible, does that mean that there are others who have done the same things that I’ve done. And God still forgives?” The pastor smiled as he answered her question, “Yes, it’s exactly as the Scripture reads.” He then loudly reread the Scripture to her. The woman began to cry again, but this time her tears were tears of joy; and, though her hands automatically went to her face, she didn’t hang her head, as usual. Instead, she pointedly held it up, as she looked up towards the ceiling. Here, in the woman’s story, we get a picture of facepalm in a state of, first sadness, and then joy!
Many times, with our hands on our faces, we hang our heads as gloom and do sets in on us. Sometimes it could be that we have been brainwashed into believing what other’s do or say to us. This keeps our hands on our faces, but God is the answer to all our cares, a Spirit to lead us through all our cares.
Facepalm also takes me back – back to a time, when in desperation, I, too, felt the way this woman had, and I too turned to Jesus.
I WAS SAVED
I came unto the Lord
Alone and in distress
I deeded Hi deliverance
So I knelt, and I confessed
For all the things that I had done
I asked Him to forgive me.
Humbly I cried –
My heart, my mind, soul,
I gladly give Thee!
And, sure enough,
I was saved!
Jesus took my part.
That very day He rescued me
And came to live within my heart.
I have learned that God is not nearly as concerned with what we go through as He is with our response to what we go through. In all that He designs or allows us to experience, His chief concern is that our attitudes become consistent with those of His Son, Jesus Christ. In one of his books, well known author, Max Lucado, wrote, “God loves us just the way we are, but He wants to make us just like Jesus.”
So, what are we to do? We praise God, from whom all blessings flow, and always remember, “He is a very present help in times of trouble.” Actually, He is our “Facepalm!”
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Well done!
God bless~
Your beginning was a tad slow. I think if you had started with the story of the woman, it might grab more readers right away because you do such a good job of showing her conflict. Remember to start a new paragraph each time someone else speaks.
I also really enjoyed the poem and think you could have ended with that because there is so much passion in the words. It almost takes my breath away. You definitely nailed the topic while delivering a powerful message.