Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Salt and Pepper (07/24/14)
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TITLE: The Big Discovery at Little Sandy Top Church | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jennifer Champion
07/24/14 -
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“Lordy, Lordy. What are we going to do?” Ms. Minnie shakes her head as she surveys the rubble.
“Do you see any hymn books?” Mr. Felts, our music director, is about to tears as he searches around for his beloved hymnals.
The rest of our morning revolves around digging through the remnants of our building. Ms. Minnie, Ms. Rosa, and Mr. Jeffry find just a few items that are salvageable. Poor Mrs. Jenkins can’t stop crying because her newly decorated classroom is now a mere concrete slab. I guess it was around ten o’clock when her daughter came to take her home.
“Poor Mama. She’s just heartbroken, you know?” Her daughter explains as she helps her into the car.
By noon, we have recovered fifteen hymn books, three Bibles, a music CD from last year’s Vacation Bible School, and a box of baby wipes. The eight pews we found were two blocks over piled up by Taylor’s Body Shop. We got a phone call from a man over on Johnson Street, seven blocks away that said our steeple is in his front yard. The next call was from First Baptist Church; they pitched in and prepared lunch for us and were driving it over.
It is almost one o’clock when the First Baptist Church bus drives up. Their pastor and his wife jump out and greet us. Most of the older folks climb aboard the air conditioned bus to eat lunch but I dust off a spot in what used to be my office and have a seat on the ground. With legs folded, I look around. This is a view of our church that I never witnessed. I look at the bus. The windows are dotted with bobbing heads of white and grey. I bow my head to pray.
“Dear Heavenly Father, show me how to comfort my sheep. Amen.”
As I open my paper sack lunch so thoughtfully prepared by our neighbor church, I catch glimpse of something shiny a foot to my right. I begin to dig it out with a coffee stirrer that was in my utensil pack. It was just the top from a salt or pepper shaker. At one time it was screwed onto a glass shaker but the shaker itself is missing. About two inches over from my discovery is a mound of salt and pepper. The two are mixed together and resting on the ground in this perfect little pile next to another object that completely takes me by surprise.
I run over to the bus and climb aboard. “Everyone, come with me now. Put down your lunch, quickly.”
Moments later, the white and gray heads are bobbing their way out of the bus and walking towards the area where I am standing.
“Look and tell me what you see.” I instruct my flock.
Ms. Minnie chimes in first, “I see ants getting on your food.”
“No, no. Not that, Mss. Minnie. What else do you see?” Everyone stares at me with glazed over eyes.
I bend down and dust the salt and pepper away from the area. Then, I loop my finger in through the small gold handle and pull. A small wooden door opens up and there in the ground are steps.
“You got a flashlight on that bus of yours, Brother?” I inquire of the visiting pastor.
In a flash, he returns with flashlight in hand. Slowly I make my way down the steps and following me are the congregation that felt capable enough to make the trek down. The light beam reveals a full sanctuary with pews, hymnals, bibles, a piano, and a pulpit. In the corner is even a large tub I suspect was once used for baptisms. A plaque on the wall reveals to us that this was once an underground church for escaped slaves. At the very bottom in primitive script it states, NEVER LOOK BACK.
As I climb back up to reveal our findings, I hear the rumblings of the people above.
“Well? Well?” They say.
“Our Lord has seen to it that we will prevail in any storm that comes our way. We must never look back on what was but look to eternity instead.” I say.
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God bless~
Good Job.
It kept my interest. And as hyper as I am, that is a chore.
Thanks for a good piece!
God bless.
In years to come will we hide because of a lack of faith?
I like your easy to read piece.
In Nebraska there is a John Brown's cave where escaped slaves hid on their way North. Maybe you have found John Brown's church.
It all came together nicely.
God BLess~