Previous Challenge Entry (EDITOR'S CHOICE)
Topic: Staff( 01/31/13)
TITLE:
His Words, His Power | Writing Challenge By Linda Gage 02/07/13 |
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7th Place
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“Again?” He chuckled at their excitement yet couldn’t help thinking about the others. The older folks used to act the same way, but not these days. They were too busy complaining about everything.
Playfully he yelled, “Hurry, gather around.”
The children shuffled and wiggled, trying to get closest to him.
“Hmph, where shall I begin today?” he quipped with a twinkle in his eye.
“The snake part!” said one.
“No,” pleaded another, “the basket!”
“In the palace,” said another.
“Yes,” he said, “That’s where we will start today, in the palace.”
His mind drifted to many years ago as he began to tell the story, his story, their history.
“A very long time ago I was a prince in a palace. I was a prince of Egypt. I had everything that I could ever want. But one day I found out that I really did not belong there. I did not belong with a rich, royal family. I belonged to a poor slave family. I was mad at God. Why would God do this to me?” he asked, but knew why. There was no answer from them.
“One day I hurt a man really bad. I knew that I would be punished for it.” Knowing what that meant, the children fidgeted.
He paused just long enough which allowed one child to interject, “Then you ran away!”
“Far, far, far away in the desert.” said another.
“Yes, I ran far, far away in the desert where I thought no one could find me. I became a shepherd. I took care of sheep. I had a new family.”
“Then God found you, right?” piped up one child.
“Indeed He did. But, remember,” gently tapping her nose, God always knows where you are.”
“One day I saw a bright light in the distance. Even in the sunny daylight it was super bright. When I got closer, I could see that it was a bush. It was a bush that was on fire but, was NOT burning up!
“Oooh,” they gasped.
“Then the very voice of GOD spoke to me!” He always used a really deep voice for this part. “God told me, ‘GO and lead My people to freedom.’ ”
“Did you want to go?” smirked one. The kids always thought this part of the story was funny. How he made excuses why he should not go because he did not know what to say. How he thought that the people wouldn’t believe him and that God should send someone else.
“No, even though God told me to tell those Egyptians that The Lord our God sent me to tell them to let His people GO and have their freedom. I still did not want to go.”
“Then a grand and wondrous thing happened when I asked God, ‘What if they don’t believe me?’ With eyes widened and arms stretched up over his head, he grabbed his staff. God said to me, ‘Take your staff and throw it on the ground!’ I did it.”
The children squealed with excitement watching his great animation as he shook it around right in front of their feet. It was now a snake!
“I ran away from that snake,” he said as he darted not two feet from them. They were rolling around laughing when he sat down again.
”God turned that staff into a snake right in front of my eyes.” His voice serious now, “God told me to pick up that snake.”
“Did you want to pick it up?”
“No, I did not want to, but I did,” he whispered. “God was giving me a great lesson.” Gently holding the staff now, “He was showing me that not only was He going to tell me WHAT to say but it was HIS power that was going to make them believe.”
“And you went and they believed and we are FREEEEEEEE,” said a little one as she twirled around in joy.
He smiled. The kids were already scattering before he could add his last words, “Now, you go and tell others what our Lord has done. HE will tell you what to say and it is up to HIM to make them believe.”
Alone now, an overwhelming sadness came over him. He was going back to talk to the complainers in hopes that they would again, believe.
(Dedicated to Faithwriters whose pen/staff is used to tell others of Him: knowing His power makes them believe)
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