Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Red (10/01/09)
-
TITLE: Not In This School, You Don't | Previous Challenge Entry
By Mariane Holbrook
10/08/09 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
The school day was about to end; outside we heard our bus.
“So write about your favorite color; give it careful thought.
Be sure to use the essay style that you have just been taught.”
We hurried from our class that day discussing what she’d said.
We changed our minds a dozen times from pink to blue to red.
Around the dinner table we discussed it endlessly.
But there was not one color choice on which we could agree.
While sitting at my desk that night I felt God speak to me.
“This is a chance to share your faith though some might disagree.”
It seemed the words flew out of me; I felt God’s guiding hand.
Though I was barely fourteen then, ’twas time to take a stand.
“Of all the colors,” I began, “red is the one that wins.
It represents my Savior’s blood He shed for all my sins.
“When soldiers beat Him with their clubs, His blood flowed red with pain.
It poured from every stab and wound and left an awful stain.
“God could have made us pay for crimes that we had surely done.
But God’s love was so great that He gave up His own dear Son.”
I turned the two-page essay in; surprised when teacher chose
To read it to our English class but soon her voice just froze.
“Your work is unacceptable; you know we cannot speak
Or write of Jesus or of God, so leave here for one week.”
I put my books into my bag and told the class goodbye.
I didn’t know if I’d be back or if I’d even try.
My mom and dad just hugged me tight and said they loved me, too.
TV reporters were outside to see what I would do.
The interviews were shown for days on stations near and far;
My dad would tease that I’d become our family’s TV star.
It finally ended peaceably and I returned to school.
The kids were wearing red that day; I thought it was so cool.
But best of all, were letters I’d received from kids like me
Who’d placed their faith in Jesus Christ and He had set them free.
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.
Your poetry is always so excellent!
This is so well done with such a great message. I love it!
Worthy EC.
I had gone to the same school where my children attended later, and how things changed. From being a school with a dress code, and allowing traditional religious Christmas songs to be sung in the program, to one that frowned on any religious parafanelia brought to school, it really did a total switch in twenty some odd years.
It angered and saddened me greatly and once we moved a few years later, I was relieved to find a town that still had strong christian values, within the schools as well.
Great job in writing this piece. Congrats on your win too!!
Although the girl would not likely get a weeks suspension here(I don't think--more likely she would be told her story is inadmissable and she would be given a failing mark), this scenario is already entirely possible, not something that could happen the future.