Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: COLOR (07/30/20)
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TITLE: THE AWAKENING | Previous Challenge Entry
By Nancy Sullivan
08/06/20 -
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Grasshoppers feasted on the grill cloth covering of our outdoor portable radio much like a hungry farmer would attack an ear of corn on the cob. My then four-year-old daughter tip-toed inside the above-ground swimming pool, her chin barely above the water, catching and placing thirsty grasshoppers on her head like a crown. They seemed to enjoy their free rides.
I’ll spare you the horror of the scorpions parading across the ceilings and underfoot in our newly constructed home.
The lack of rain and the relentless heat that summer meant the leaves on the trees could only curl into crisp, brown refuse and fall helplessly to the ground. Their autumn splendor had been stolen from them, leaving paper-thin grave sites waiting for the ground to claim them for its own.
Winter followed with its own form of neutrality. dreary skies faded into night and reappeared much as the day before. If the sun appeared at all for a brief time during the day, the gray and brown tones below could offer no reflection of its light.
The only thing filled with more gloom than the abandoned landscape was me. Our remote address meant long days --- day after day. It was like the black and white opening to the movie The Wizard of Oz, and I was slowly turning into the bike-riding wicked witch who stole poor Toto. Just ask my family. This sad sack was ready to pedal to the nearest tropical island.
Winter snow covered the remnants of anything clinging to life. Gray and white, white and gray. Much like the emotional storms that steal our joy and refuse to leave.
Gradually, sprigs of green began to appear as the snow melted into their roots, bringing life to the parched land. Then more sprigs. Pink buds multiplied on the volunteer red bud trees planted by generous birds.
In a matter of days life had returned to our little patch of a homestead. Fresh mornings sparkled with the heavy dew that blanketed new life. Birds began their morning praise as the sunlight awakened their song. The tender grass and deep green of new leaves brought richness to the dark brown branches and trunks.
Pale skies could no longer hold back the bright blue heavens and the white clouds puffed up to overflowing with joy. I began to feel like Glenda the Good Witch as she enamored the little people in Lollipop Land with her cheerful voice and her waving wand filling the air with glitter. Our rural kingdom was awash in Spring’s technicolor.
Nature can be a reflection of our inner view of the gray days of mourning, stress, and sadness and can be almost lethal to any expectations for brighter days. In turn, life’s cycles mirror the stories that unfold with each new season as hues of hope are restored and the Light shines through.
“For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ… Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
(2 Corinthians 4:6, 16-18 NASB)
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God is our hope and the reflection of His light throughout the seasons is a great reminder that even in the gray, cloudy, storms...there is much to be thankful for. I enjoyed this article very much...thank you for writing it!
an ear of corn on the cob.
You don't need 'on the cob' because if it's an ear of corn, it's on the cob. There's a few other spots like that here and there (leaves on the tree). It's a tiny thing, but it helps with the flow and leaves you more words to paint your beautiful descriptions. I think the verse you selected is a perfect fit to your message. You made me stop and think about what affects my moods and how color can make a difference in my outlook. Congratulations on ranking 1st in your level and 12th overall. Happy Dance!
God bless!