The Witness

The Witness

original story by Olivia

Intro
I wrote this story for Fine Arts 2013. It took a year to write it and was the first story story I have ever written. Enjoy!

The Witness
When I heard a knock on the door, I knew that it was my granddaughter, Millie. What I did not expect, was for my usually happy, cheerful granddaughter, to come in with a frown bigger than the St. Louis Arch.             “What’s wrong Millie?” I asked, with concern. “I tried to witness to a girl from school and she told me Jesus was for wimps. It was so  humiliating! I’m never going to witness again!” cried Millie. “Well, in that case, I have a story that will help you,” I said. “Really?” Millie asked, curiously. “Yes, it happened back in 1976…” 

"Hannah, have you finished unpacking the boxes in your room?" called Hannah's mom. “I just finished the last one," Hannah said as she walked into the kitchen. "I can’t wait to  see Lacy! I hope I get to tell her about Jesus soon, too.”   Later that day, Hannah went over to her cousin Lacy’s house and when she answered the  door, Hannah smiled and said, "Hi, Lacy!” <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">"Hannah! I still can't believe your here!" Lacy gasped and hugged her cousin. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">"I know! It’ll be so great to go to school together and see each other whenever we want!”  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">said Hannah. Then they went up to Lacy’s room to hang out. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">The next day after church, Hannah and her parents went over to read the bulletins. One of  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">them was asking for teachers for first though sixth grade classes. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">            "Do you think you would like to do something like that?" asked her Dad. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">"Yes, I think I’d like to teach 5th grade,” answered Hannah. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">The following week, when Hannah got to church, she went to her classroom and began  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">setting up. By the time the class started, there were ten kids sitting at desks looking at Hannah  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">curiously. Hannah read from Romans 3:23 ‘For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">God’ and 1 John 1:9 ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">and purify us from all unrighteousness’. Then she talked about the ABC's of salvation: Admit  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">you are a sinner, Believe that Jesus died and rose again in order to save us, and Choose to trust  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Jesus as Savior. She read many other verses and told about how Jesus has helped her in her own  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">life. She then asked if anyone wanted to pray to become a Christian. Hannah was so  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">happy when all ten children raised their hands and proceeded to say the life changing, life saving  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">prayer. On the way out, Hannah gave each of them a Bible. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">                                                    <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">     The next day, on the school bus, Hannah sat next to her cousin, Lacy. "Hi Lacy," said  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Hannah. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">            "Hi, how was your weekend?" Lacy asked. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“Well, I went to church and volunteered for a Sunday school class," answered Hannah,  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">happily. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">"That's cool" said Lacy. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">After school, Hannah and Lacy got off the bus at Lacy's house and went in. "Hi girls,"  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">said Lacy's mom. Hannah and Lacy went to Lacy's room to hang out and Hannah told her about  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Jesus.  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">"So, Jesus, who was perfect, was crucified so we could go to heaven; and even though all  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">he would have to do was call his angels and they would save him, he didn't?" asked Lacy. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">            "Yeah!” answered Hannah. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;"> “All you have to do in order to be with him forever is ask?" asked Lacy. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">            "Yes, exactly, so do you want to ask?" Hannah asked hopefully. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“Yes, I think it’s amazing that Jesus gave up his life for me,” said Lacy. Hannah was so  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">happy to say a prayer with her cousin. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">The next day after school, Hannah and Lacy went to Lacy’s house and there was a police  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">car pulling out of the driveway. They ran into the house and found Lacy’s mom crying. “What’s  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">wrong?” asked Lacy. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Lacy’s Mom looked up at her daughter and said, “Your father has just been arrested for robbing a gas station.” <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“No, that can’t be!” cried Lacy. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;"> “I’m sorry, sweetie, but he confessed,” answered Lacy’s Mom. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Lacy went running up to her room and Hannah followed her. Hannah said, “This is the  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">time when you need to trust in Jesus to help you get through this.” <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“You are right, Hannah. It’s really hard and I’m so scared, but I will try to trust him.”  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Then Hannah sat down next to Lacy and prayed with her. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">On the way home from Lacy’s house, Hannah was hit by a car, and then everything went  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">black. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Hannah opened her eyes and she was in a hospital. Hannah looked around for her parents,  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">and she saw them talking with a doctor out in the hall. They came into the room and Hannah’s  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Mom asked her how she was feeling. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">"I’m really tired," answered Hannah slowly. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">"Unfortunately, we found some extensive internal bleeding," said the doctor. "I don't  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">think there's much we can do. I'm sorry." <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">            Later that day, Hannah was resting when her mom came into the room. "Hi sweetie, I  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">have a note for you; from Lacy." <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">"Oh, thanks," said Hannah, taking the note. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">

<span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Dear Hannah, <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">

<span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">I’m so sorry to hear what happened to you. I’m really glad you told me about Jesus. I don’t  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">know what I would do if I didn’t have Him to trust. You can never imagine the impact you had  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">on my life and the lives of others. I can't say goodbye to you because this isn't goodbye. I will  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">see you someday in heaven. This is just farewell until next time; you will be forever in my  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">memories.

<span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">                        Love, <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">

<span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">                         Lacy

Hannah held the note close, knowing that her life was complete. She sighed and drifted off to <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">sleep. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">

<span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“Then what happened?” asked Millie. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“That’s where the story ends, Hannah dies.” I answered. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">            “Hannah dies?! But, what’s the point of the story?” cried Millie. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“The point is that witnessing can change many lives. Hannah knew that her work was <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;"> finished on Earth. It says in Acts 20:24, ‘But I do not account my life of any value nor as <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.’ Hannah earned an unimaginable reward in <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;"> Heaven,” I answered. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“Wow, thanks, Grandma. I don’t feel humiliated anymore. I think I will try to witness  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">again,” said Millie. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“That’s wonderful, Millie, and remember, you can also witness by having a good  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Christian attitude,” I said. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“You’re right. By the way, where did you find that story?” asked Millie. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">            “Well, I was a part of the story. I was Lacy’s mother,” I said. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“What?! So, my mom is Lacy? Hannah was my second cousin?” asked Millie. <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">“Yes, Lacy was her middle name. Now she goes by her first name, Heather. Just think, if  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">Hannah hadn’t witnessed to Lacy, you might not have been raised in a Christian home. Your  <span style="font-family:'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12pt;">mother later witnessed to both your grandfather and I, and we also became Christians. You never  <span style="font-family:TimesNewRoman,serif;font-size:12pt;">know who you may impact, even those who are currently nonexistent.”