Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Enter (02/27/06)
-
TITLE: Tomorrow's Door | Previous Challenge Entry
By Gary Morris
03/04/06 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
This time last year, Gene had a life too. He and his wife had just moved into their new house with their two beautiful daughters. It seemed as though the couple was finally able to move on with their life since the death of their only son. The move to the city was certainly a brave step in the right direction for their healing process. However, the excitement of the move and the new house was short lived.
Within a few short months, Gene’s entire world had shattered around him and left him sitting in a cold empty apartment. His wife of twenty-three years had severed their relationship in an affair with a friend of Gene’s. When she moved out she took the girls with her and left Gene with an empty house and memories that only brought misery and tears.
After a month of desolation in his deserted house, Gene packed his few belongings and moved into an uptown apartment. Soon he realized that the misery and memories had only moved along with him. The displayed photographs of his children from a much happier time only brought tears as he retrieved them from the shelf and held them to his chest that echoed the beating of a broken heart.
Every time his cell phone rang, he quickly focused on the display screen to see if one of his daughters had found a moment in their busy life to give him a call. Very seldom was he blessed with that privilege. When he had the courage to call them he felt as though he was interrupting, especially when the call had to be cut short due to them being preoccupied by something more important.
In frustration, Gene slowly walked away from his kitchen, grabbed the remote and collapsed in his recliner. Turning the TV off, he sat quietly and stared at the twelve-foot ceiling. His mind began racing over the past few years of his life. All he could imagine was door after door slamming in his face.
The door to the future with his only son was slammed in his face when the boy was tragically taken away in an automobile accident. Another door to the “happily ever after” life with the love of his youth was suddenly slammed in his face. Yet another door to being a normal father to his daughters in a normal family setting during their growing up years was slammed in his face.
Amidst all of his darkness, Gene noticed a glimmer of light shinning into his life, through the slightest crack in the door before him. As he looked closer, his eyes focused on the letters inscribed across the top of the door, “TOMORROW.” Astonished by the boldness of the word and blinded by the brilliance of the light he took a few steps backward.
A peaceful voice from somewhere close by whispered, “Enter.” Gripped with fear, he stood silently. No way was he going to move toward that door. “Enter,” he heard again. Gene thought, “There is no way I can enter that door not knowing what awaits.”
He slowly turned around and again noticed all the doors he had previously attempted to enter that were now firmly locked. There was no way he could attempt to enter the newly opened door and face the humiliation of having it slammed in his face. As he turned to walk away, he felt the nudge of an unseen hand leading him toward the opened door of “TOMORROW” and again heard the peaceful voice saying, “Go ahead, Enter.”
Focusing his eyes on the doorknob, Gene moved toward the door. Comforted by the unseen hand and the peaceful voice, he reached out and grabbed the knob to open the door. Just then, the morning sunlight shinning into Gene’s living room woke him from his sleep. He could hardly believe it was a dream. He arose from his recliner a new man knowing he was living in a brand new day.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
