Hey Warriors! I'm back with another entry from the AG Fine Arts Festival. This piece was entered in 2021, and I believe it also earned an Excellent. This is a Book Chapter, so it's a little bit longer than the other posts I've made.
The Future Firefighter
"Yes! Today is the day! They told me that I couldn't do it, but I am doing it!
I am achieving my dream! I am finally training to be a firefighter!" Sarah said to her cat, Mittens. Sarah's black cat batted at her dirty blond hair as she stroked its fur for comfort. Ever since the hotel she was at had a problem with the pool's electrical system that caught fire and had fire engines roaring down the street, she had wanted to become a firefighter. Out of all the firefighters, Sarah's favorites were Kiana and Tayo. These ladies were helping Sarah achieve her dream job!
But Sarah still had a while to go to achieve this.
She had to get top marks in the academy. Before that, she had to get into the academy.
She studied hard for months until she felt satisfied with the progress she had made in her studies. She took all the advice her brain could process from Tayo and Kianna. She was ready. There was no way she wouldn't become a firefighter.
The day before the test, she decided to rest. "It's Sunday, after all, the day of rest." She said to herself and her cat, Mittens. She wormed into her covers and started to snore. Suddenly she bolted out of bed, sending her cat into fits of hissing. She ran to her closet, feeling the sting of guilt, as she hadn't participated in church for several weeks. She had been studying instead. "I'm late, I'm late, I'm so, so, late!!" she shouted, as she ran to her car.
After service, she went over her books one last time before she went to bed. "After all, I have to be ready for tomorrow. And I am ready." She told Mittens.
Except she wasn't ready for the physical part of the test. Sarah was struggling to keep up with other trainees in the mile run, and it didn't help that they put a 75-pound vest on her to simulate the gear she would be wearing. “This-is-so-long,” She panted, “please-let-it-be-over-soon.” She felt a pain in her side, but she was determined to finish.
"How'd it go?" Kianna asked anxiously. Sarah paused and then said, "I think it could've gone better during the physical portion, but I think my written test went really well!"
Sarah received the test scores letter three days after the test. Sarah's hands shook as she held the envelope. "This holds the key to my future," she told Mittens. "Everything I've ever dreamed of and worked for." She sat, frozen, unable to open the letter; she knew she passed, why wouldn't she? But there was a twinge of fear of failure deep down. She could've sworn that even Mittens was nervous since he threw up some mice remains. "I guess I won't know unless I open it." She said. "Oh, stop being such a scaredy-cat, Sarah. Toughen up. If you don't start now, you never will fully be -" She stopped short, and with a sudden burst of courage and determination, she took the letter in her still shaking hands, opened it, and started to read;
Written Test Scores: 50/50
Physical Test Scores: 2/50
Dear Miss Sarah Hahn,
We are sorry to inform you that, though your test scores in the written test were high, your physical portion received very low marks, and therefore, we are unable to recruit you into the academy.
Please feel free to apply next time,
Firefighter's Academy
She read this letter over and over until the meaning sank in. The words blurred as tears began to pour down her face, and she laid her head in her hands. Mittens took this opportunity to jump into Sarah's lap.
"The good thing is that you got full marks on the written portion of the test," Kianna said, trying to cheer Sarah up. "But I'm not a firefighter like I wanted to be! I studied so hard, and it didn't pay off because I didn't train." Sarah said in a sad voice.
"It's in God's hands, Sarah, you know that," Tayo said.
"Why don't you train for both parts of the test so that you can join next time?" Dayna asked. Dayna was a good friend and a former youth leader of hers. "Oh, what's the point?" Sarah snapped, "What if I'll never be able to join? What if I'll never fit in? What if I can't get a decent job that I enjoy doing? What if-"
"That's a lot of what-ifs, Sarah." Tayo interrupted. "Have you talked with the One who can answer those questions? Sarah didn't immediately know who Tayo was talking about. Then it clicked. "God! Why haven't I thought to ask him! He'll help me!" Sarah exclaimed.
Sarah went back at it, studying and, this time, training. The tactics in the books she read helped her learn to do it physically. This was it. This time she was ready.
The day of the tests was a rainy one. The physical test would be slightly more challenging, with mud, dark skies, and constant downpour. She got to the burning hotel rescue simulation, and she climbed up and up the ladder. She got her first two "victims" out just fine, but on her way down with the third, she missed a ladder prong, fell down the ladder, and landed with a thud. She woke up sometime later, but in a hospital bed, with her concerned friends around her. She felt woozy.
"What happened?" She asked.
"You broke your legs, Sarah," Tayo informed her.
A nurse cleared her throat and asked, "How do you feel?"
"Tired. My whole body aches." Sarah said. "What'd I do, fall off the ladder?" All of her friends, and the nurse, nodded. "Alright, I'll get you some food, then you'll take medicine, then rest. Your friends will have to leave soon." The nurse said, glancing at Tayo, Kianna, and Dayna.Dayna spoke up, “Before I leave, I want to pray over you and your recovery.". And so they did.
Over the next few weeks that she was in her bed, Sarah thought about her career. She couldn't become a firefighter until her legs were better, but now she wasn't sure that's what she wanted to be. She couldn't think of another career that she could imagine herself doing.
Kianna and Tayo were both firefighters, but Tayo also led a Girls Ministries group, and Kianna also worked at a fashion boutique. Dayna was a writer and a youth group leader. Sarah told her friends, "Those all sound like great jobs, but I'm not sure if I'll enjoy doing any of those things as a job."
"Then let's try a different way," Kianna said," What do you enjoy doing? What are you good at?" She enjoyed lots of things, which made her even more unsure. It felt like Sarah's list went on forever. Tayo told her, "Don't worry, we'll help you find the job for you."
After all the preparation for the firefighter's tests and the time in the hospital, it felt great to be back at church again. She hadn't noticed how much she missed the pastor's sermons.
When she got home, she pulled out her Bible and started to read. Then she got out her notebook and started writing like she always did when she was stressed. Before her pencil touched the paper, her phone rang. Her pastor was calling her. "Hello, Sarah! I hope your recovery is going well?" She asked.
"Thank you, and my leg is doing much better; it isn't hurting much," Sarah told her. "I'm calling to ask if you'd be up to help out the children's class, either Sunday School or the 10:30 service. You don't have to have an answer now, but I'll need to know by Saturday." her pastor said.
Her pastor inspired her to get back into the Children's Ministry. Sarah volunteered to help the children's class almost every week for about two months. Several times, Sarah was the one to lead the service. The kids were always happy to see her.
After service one Sunday, she was doing so well that the pastor asked her if she would apply to become the church's new children's pastor. The church had been looking for a new pastor for about three months; they were going to make their decision soon.
The day came when the church was announcing their decision. "We interviewed every applicant, and the church board, and myself, have decided that the best applicant for our position of children's pastor is . . . Sarah Hahn!" The pastor told the crowd at large. "Pastor Sarah, please come up here." Sarah smiled and walked up on the stage and gave her prepared sermon, which she had been told to write ahead of time. She couldn't remember the last time she heard so much laughter in the sanctuary.
She left the church with her friends, and all of them went to a restaurant to celebrate. Tayo, Kianna, and Dayna were thrilled. Throughout the meal, her friends said tiny congratulations every time the conversation veered toward Church.
Sarah loved making up silly sermons for the kids to enjoy, and the kids loved having Sarah as their pastor. But the job wasn't all fun and games. Often, Sarah would spend countless nights preparing a sermon or getting supplies for the activities. It was worth it, though.
One day, she felt upset for no particular reason. She thought that her efforts in the Children's Ministry weren't worthwhile. She was spending her money on supplies, taking lots of time to provide a fun-filled sermon for her students, and Sarah wasn't even sure they were learning anything.
She told Dayna what she was dealing with. "I don't know if the children are learning. What if they are just there for the snacks and games?" As always, Dayna knew what to do. "Let's pray and ask God if he'll tell us if the kids are learning." And so they did.
The answer came on Sunday. After service, a girl, who was always quiet, came up to Sarah as she was starting to clean up. "Miss Sarah?" She said. "I wanted to say thank you for teaching me that God loves everyone. I've learned more here than at my old church. All we did there was play games and occasionally learn a small verse. You are my favorite church leader."
Sarah was so touched by the young girl's words that she went home feeling very proud of her influence on her students and was inspired to resume her work with a renewed vigor.
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