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TRUST JESUS TODAY

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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: The Church (12/06/07)
"Do you want to join our youth group's trip to the shore this May, " Kelly* asked her friend, Brittany*.

"Sure, " Brittany smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

"We have Bible lessons several times during the day," Kelly told her.

"Oh. Well, that is okay," Brittany answered while she wondered the reason Kelly seemed to be apologizing for the Bible meetings. Brittany thought it was only logical that a church activity would include the Bible in some way. Her youth activities didn't include it, but it still made sense to Brittany that it should.

"There is something else, " Kelly added, biting her lower lip. "You have to attend our youth group twice in order to go."

"Okay. I will check with my dad, but I don't think he will care."

Just like Brittany assumed, her father allowed her to attend the two meetings and the retreat. The memories of that retreat flooded Brittany's spirit as she now stood beside her father's casket. She was a mother of four young children and looking at the possibility of a divorce. Brittany realized that the impact of that retreat would continue to carry her in the days ahead.

The first fifteen years of her life, church had been about the building she was in. Oh sure. They sang the pithy little song saying, "I am the church. You are the church. We are the church together." * Brittany didn't believe the song though until she went on that retreat.

Now Brittany suddenly realized that she would survive even if she lost her husband at the same time she lost her beloved father. You see, three months after that retreat Brittany trusted Jesus as her Savior and surrendered her heart to follow Jesus no matter where He took her. Brittany recalled now all the places He had taken her with His church always by her side.

Brittany could not forget the bridal shower and baby showers provided by her church family and only her mother attending them. All the meals and childcare provided for her young family when she miscarried a baby and almost hemorrhaged to death, when her young baby was in the hospital for four days, and when she was bedridden for three weeks so she would not lose another baby. With those difficulties came flowers, cards, phone calls, and visits from the church, but sadly, not from her parents and siblings.

How can anyone forget the food and presents provided during the holidays when the money was not there to adequately care for this family of six? What about the anonymous funds arriving weeks before the bill came due, when her husband was in seminary and she had rushed one of her sons to the hospital for injuries that come with having little boys?

Yes, it was true. Brittany would make it through whatever her future held, because the words of this song are true about the church. "All who follow Jesus. All around the world. We are the church together."*

*Avery and Marsh, 1972
*Name changed
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This article has been read 1108 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Jan Ackerson
12/16/07
Very touching story of the body of Christ ministering to a woman in need.

I got lost in the time line a few times--a few paragraphs in particular covered an awful lot of time in her life. Maybe just focusing on one episode would give you more room for plot and character devolopment?

I was glad that she was comforted by her faith and fellow believers.
Karen Wilber
12/16/07
Since you changed the names, I have a strong feeling that this is a true story. It's wonderful how a church family can step in and be a family for each other in times of need.
Yvonne Blake 
12/17/07
I liked how you started with the dialogue. I suggest you put little more feeling by inserting your own thoughts...at your father's casket, etc.
The message is so true. The church is a wonderful supporting family.
Temple Miller
12/19/07
Lovely story. And you captured the true church.
Shelley Ledfors
12/20/07
Wonderful example of the what the church should do in people's lives.

I think I might have put only one asterisk in the story itself (for the song reference), then added the footnote that the story was true, although the names had been changed.

Some really great thoughts here!
nicole wian
12/20/07
I'm guessing this story was somewhat true because of the asteriks and I could really relate. The only thing that bothered me was when I read that the husband had been in seminary. The rest of the time,I wondered why a Christian couple couldn't work things out. I understand that Christians get divorced too but because you weren't able to go into detail, I wish that part had been left out. The seminary part, not the divorce part. Only because, then it distracted me from the point of the story. But overall, it actually brought tears to my eyes, as I have been there myself. You did a good job.