The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Bookends (01/30/14)
As a baby born into abject poverty and being of the wrong gender, her life was bookended by crises. Rosa could have been abandoned and left to die but that is not how it happened. Her story still brings tears to my eyes. At eight-years, she was without a doubt a child. However, her family seemed obstinate to this fact as they gave her hand in marriage to a 40-year-old man. Her parents offered their young daughter in an arranged marriage to a much older man to reduce their own dependents and for the dowry the little girl fetched. Little did this family know that the day she said those vows was the last they would see her.

This is one too many sad case of a child bride. Even though some traditions have been around for hundreds of years, thank God we have some laws in place against them. I’m talking about practices such as female infanticide – literally leaving the girl child to die because she is not the expected gender, female genital mutilation or female exploitation through prostitution just to mention a few. Embedded in cultural norms, these acts are often carried out with the consent of mothers who most likely were also subjected to the same. Nevertheless, ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it. Even if the people upholding such practices do not know that what they do is against the law, they can still be punished for doing it. That, to most people, is good news!

The tradition of child brides is still very common in Arua - the West Nile region of Uganda. Here, people believe that when a girl develops breasts or starts her period, she is already an adult and can be married off. And that makes me wonder if Rosa actually met these qualifications.

On her wedding night, Rosa’s husband asked for his conjugal rights. But because she was young, in the process, she suffered internal bleeding from vaginal and uterine tearing and which led her to her death. A young life tragically lost in the name of tradition.

This is a sad story but let’s bring it closer to home. What customs and traditions are we practicing and holding onto that are keeping us in bondage? See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. – Colossians 2:8 NIV

Let us not neglect the commandment of God. If we do, our succumbing to traditions and man-made ideas will be imminent.


(Non-fiction)

Inspired also by Mark 7:7 NLT and Mark 7:8 NASB
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 641 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Francie Snell 
02/08/14
This is so sad yet very informative and well written in bringing a horrible tragedy to light. Thank you for sharing.
Brenda Rice
02/11/14
What an eye opening account of a tradition I have heard little about. I will never forget the information you shared in this entry.

This is well written, informative, touching and packs a good punch with its message.

Thank you.
Toni Hammer
02/11/14
A well-written piece about an absolute tragedy. You packed so much information into such a short piece and you did it well.
Wendy B McLain
02/11/14
How very sad and heart wrenching. So many people won't read stuff like this because it's so upsetting to them. But, I say, we should all read events like these.

Too many Americans have grown accustomed to their comfort zones and they have become desensitized to the reality of the pain and suffering in the lives of so many others.

I thought it was a great entry. Thanks for sharing.

God bless~
Ellen Carr 
02/11/14
You have written about a very sad and confronting practice where young women are treated very badly. It is very moving to read what you've written. There are Christian groups working to put an end to these practices in parts of the world. Thanks for raising this topic.
Colin Swann
02/11/14
Although this needed to be written about, I found it quite disturbing. Speaks to me about how much the world needs Jesus and His love.
LaVonne Wood
02/12/14
Thanks for sharing this ugly but true story. Unfortunately, there are many ugly stories that are never told and many young women who suffer. Thank God they can look to Him for the help they need.

My only suggestion is that you give a few short samples of how us Christians are being deceived with traditions.

Great entry! Blessings, LaVonne
Larry Whittington
02/13/14
Yes, the traditions of men lead us into a deadly bondage.

It may not be "the other one" who dies but it may be our self because we have followed the tradition.

Keep your heart in heaven and your eyes in his word.