KIRSTEN'S WRITINGS

I had lunch today with my dear childhood friend Pam - more pictures to come. I was telling her about a story Kirsten wrote last year, as well as her latest entry for the writing contest. I told her I would post them - here they are! Kirsten was more than willing to share it with the world!

GOODBYE, By Kirsten

Please, Sarah, don’t cry. Horse’s lives are just shorter than humans lives. My back hurts and it is hard to eat. If I stay on earth any longer I would suffer from pain and sorrow. It’s just life, all things live and die, I have lived my life so now it is time to say goodbye. Remember when you went in the pasture when you were six without permission and you almost got trampled? I jumped in front of you before that awful mare could run over you. You cried for your mother so I nuzzled your neck with my nose. You hugged my neck and stopped crying. Every day after that you had your father come with you to give me a little snack. The next chapter I remember well was when you were
eight and started your first riding lesson. When you found one of the welsh ponies tacked up for, you put up a real fight with your father. In the end, you had a successful lesson on “Midnight, not some babyish pony”. I also remember on your eleventh birthday you got to
spend a whole summer at a horse camp. I felt terribly jealous of you riding a different horse all summer. You came back
safe and sound and took me on a week long trek in the mountains. Altogether, everything turned out okay. One time, when you got extremely mad at your parents, you tacked me up in the middle of the night and rode me to your friends house. You told her that you were running away and wanted to know if she wanted to come. She said no and told her mother your plan. Her mother called your parents and told them you were running away. You were mad at your friend for weeks after that. As you grew older, you had more school work to finish
after you got home, but you always came to visit me although several times you got in trouble. You learned how to cook and always came up with delicious recipes. Then you started going places with friends. I felt ignored at some points, but you made it up with a juicy apple or a crunchy peppermint. Of course, throughout the years, you always had time for me. The older you got, the prettier you got. The older I got,
the weaker I got. We could only go for small rides once or twice a week. Even though you were caught up in school, jobs, and friends, you always had time to sit on the fence and watch me graze. I remember one time you brought home one of your friends from school. She thought she was so cool and pretty and always bragged. I knew she wasn’t your type, so when you walked by my stall I rushed up and neighed loudly in her ear. She got so scared she fell back and landed in a fresh pile of horse manure. After that she only said mean things about me and she never came back. Oh, Sarah, that’s the vet, coming to give me the shot that will stop all my pain and misery. Please, Sarah, don’t cry. Just think of all the fun times we had together. I know you will grow strong in your faith and have a good life. I wish I could speak human and tell you not to cry. It is time for me to say goodbye now. Goodbye, dear Sarah. Maybe we will meet each other in a place where there is no pain, no tears, no lies, and no thieves. Goodbye, Sarah, goodbye.

THE LAST HOUR By Kirsten
She knew it was over. The Titanic was sinking. The Titanic was going to disappear into the cold, black sea, taking it’s passengers with it. She knew in just a few short minutes that her life here on earth would be over. Even through her terror, she felt that familiar peace that passes all understanding. She knew she would soon be looking upon the face of the Lord God, her maker.
Sarah Johnson was a third class passenger on the majestic Titanic. Her parents had died when she was eight, and she had gone to live with her grandparents. When Sarah turned twelve, her grandparents thought it was best if she went to America to start a new life. Sarah bought the third class ticket with the money her parents had left behind. Even though Sarah had gone through a large amount of sorrow and grief, she never forgot to read scripture from her mother’s small leather Bible. God’s Word always comforted her in times of loneliness and despair and Sarah felt much better after reading the Bible. Even on such a luxurious ship as Titanic, Sarah still read from the small Bible every night. This same Bible was in Sarah’s hands when Titanic struck the iceberg. It was in the middle of the night when that tragic disaster struck, causing Titanic’s two thousand passengers to rush to the mere sixteen lifeboats available. Most lifeboats lowered were barely full, one only carrying twelve when it could hold sixty. Maybe if the ship’s crew knew of the danger they were about to face they would have filled them with more passengers, but many of Titanic’s crew were not informed, and lowered the boats less then half full.
Sarah had not even had the chance to get into a lifeboat, for third class had been locked below decks by strong iron gates. When the last lifeboat had been lowered, Titanic’s remaining passengers went into a state of panic. Many people went crazy and jumped off the decks into the water and died. Sarah was clinging onto the metal railing at the back of Titanic, which was now far above the water. All around her were other third class passengers. Sarah recognized some faces, but most were new. To her left was Sam Kingsbury, who had shared a room with her. On her right was Ms. Harris, a widowed young woman who Sarah accompanied meals with. Sarah thought of the people she would miss when she died, Sam, Ms. Harris, her grandparents and many others. But then she remembered when she died she would be with Jesus, and she would live eternally with him. Sarah wondered how Jesus was so willing to die on the cross for everyone’s sins. She knew she would not have been that brave if she was commanded to do that, but she was happy that Jesus did die for her, so she could be with Him. With that thought Sarah felt calmer, as if she knew nothing would go wrong. She knew that everything that happened was for a reason, and that if she died she would go to dwell in heaven with God, an d her parents. Her parents. Sarah remembered her mother’s kind, loving face and her father’s joyful smile. She wondered if they could see her now, and what they would do if they were here with her.
Their was a loud crack behind Sarah that shook her out of her thoughts. Suddenly, she found herself falling forward with Titanic. It had cracked in half, leaving the stern floating in the middle of the ocean. The stern started to tip upwards, causing many people to slide down into the deep, icy water. Sarah found herself slipping as well. She looked around at the other people and got an idea. She grabbed the flagpole next to her, pulled herself up and grabbed the rail again, sliding down onto the opposite side of the rail.
The stern was now standing straight up in the air. Sarah looked around and saw that many people copied what she had done. She felt as if she was on an elevator ride as the stern lowered into the water. The icy water swallowed the ship as if it were a huge, black monster, shoving food into its mouth. Sarah silently prayed a desperate prayer as she watched the water creep closer. It was now only about three feet away. Sarah knew this was it. She knew in a few short seconds she would be reunited with her parents. The water pulled her under, forcing her farther and farther away from the surface. Sarah knew for sure she would die. After one last prayer, all went black.
Sarah found herself kneeling in front of a tremendously bright light. A deep loud voice rang out,

“Well done, young Sarah, my good and faithful servant.”