Home Tour About What's New Help Forums Join Login My Account Shop
Save
Support
E
Book
Store
I
Need A
Savior
301
  

The HOME for Christian writers! The Home for Christian Writers!
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

TRY THE TEST



Share
how it works   Submit

Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 – Advanced)
Topic: Break (02/06/06)

TITLE: Just One Step
By Sally Hanan
02/12/06


 LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
 SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
 ADD TO MY FAVORITES

I see a bridge to your master’s house. I stand at the edge of the crevasse as close as I dare, peering across at the craggy canyon walls that uphold his kingdom.

You say his name is Light, and he rules from yonder side of the great divide. You say he took dust from the earth and breathed his ruach, his breath of life, into me. You say he knew me before I was born, and that he waits longingly for me to come to know him in his fullness.

I see the trees, the mountains that bask in his brightness, stretch their arms out. “Come,” they cry, “come to the master.”

I cover my ears in sorrow. It is too much, too much to give up I tell you. Behind me I feel them: my house, my mother, my brothers. Their eyes bore into my soul: watching, waiting to see if I will take the first step out of darkness.

You say this bridge only carries a man one way; that once I reach the other side there can be no turning back.

Tell me again what makes this bridge so strong.

It began without sin in any of its parts. It bears the marks of royalty. It took the sin of every person who was and who is yet to come on its firm foundation; its path to life conquered sin’s power over death. The master's own son is the cornerstone of every man’s journey across - he will not let you plunge to your death, rather he will uphold your walk into life.

It looks secure. I look down and quake at the freefall my body will take, should the bridge not hold me. You say every man, like me, has the choice to step on it and walk across to the everlasting Light.

My eyelids wash over my eyeballs, and my Adam’s apple moves silently within. My sin weighs me down. I cannot carry this anymore, yet it is chained to me. I drag it with every footstep in my mind, in my heart, in my soul. I scream at night in fear of what may happen should it overtake me until I can scream no more, only sob in desperation...

You offer words of hope. You say Light cannot dwell in darkness, and so I must walk in faith onto the bridge to the Light, to the One who promises to cut off these heavy chains.

My sins are my fetters, but they are familiar. Will there be any of me left once they disappear? If I walk away from my family and all I hold dear, how can I trust Light to keep his promise of never leaving me? A contract you say, signed with Light’s life?

If I go, I will be a slave. I will have an awl hammered through my ear, and I must serve the master forever. I’ve had slaves. I’ve seen how they are treated. You say I will be fed the words of life; I will drink from streams of living water. That does not sound like a slave’s life.

A breeze floats past my ear, causing the blades of grass at my feet to tickle me forward.

Do not put off the day.

I look back, I look forward, forward, back … desperation lifts my foot … hesitatingly, I place it onto the firm foundation ahead. My other foot follows. Incredibly, links of my bonds begin to pop open and crash to the ground. Each footstep sheds more weight, and I begin to run. I feel so light, so free. Cords of love from Light himself reach out to me and wrap softly around me. They pull me on and on until I reach his arms and fall, sobbing in gratitude, into his presence.

I hear a cracking noise behind me. Pieces of bridge shatter, each one holding a memoir of my fetters. From each side of the gorge, every part of my old life is shaken away. Their dead weight whistles down to the tiny, winding, river thousands of feet below.

I hear a creaking and surge of power. Cautiously, I look over the shoulder of love to see the bridge fully formed once more.

That’s for the next one.

I rest my head against his chest again.

His words are true. In his presence is fullness of joy.


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 824 times
Member Comments
Member Date
Crista Darr02/13/06
Oh, I really like this. Very creative and unique. Great work!
Brandi Roberts02/14/06
Wow. Just wow. You have a way of building an emotional bridge to your readers! Very well written!
Jan Ackerson 02/16/06
Well, this is just perfect. I'm blown away.
Pat Guy 02/16/06
Beautiful! Poetic! Salvation painted in words and fantastic imagery. Very touching - just beautiful!
Maxx .02/17/06
This really does read like a classic poetic story. Very well done, polished, paced well. Strong entry. Good work!
Shari Armstrong 02/17/06
Wonderful images - this was very well done!
Lynda Lee Schab 02/18/06
This was so beautiful. What a glorious description of crossing over to God's side. Just One Step was just wonderful!
Melanie Kerr 02/18/06
Wonderful. I kept willing your character to make the step, knowing what it was like on the pther side. It was a very clear picture that you presented us with.


   
© MeasurelessMedia. All rights reservedTerms of Service