The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Volunteer (11/23/06)
He raised his right hand. That was all it took. That a few simple words. They told him his life would change. He had no idea how much it would. Now, here he was. He glanced down at the photos in his hands. His wife, holding their son. His daughter showing off her new outfit. His parents at their most recent birthday party. The tears welled, but only for a minute. He had a job to do.
He had wanted to make a difference, and his life certainly was different now. More different than he had ever imagined. All it had taken was his right hand in the air and few simple words. He hadn’t been pushed into it. He hadn’t been forced. He had stood there, willingly, ready for whatever came his way.
He remembered the day the planes crashed. The images were burned into his memory. He could have backed out. But he knew he wouldn’t. He was too strong for that. The first six weeks had been a roller coaster. Up before dawn, pushing through the pain, struggling to stand tall… it had been a blur, but he knew it would be worth it when it was over.
He hadn’t anticipated meeting her and falling in love. But he did and he spent a month’s earnings on a little diamond ring. He glanced back at the picture, smiling at the ring on her finger. He knew she wore it proudly. He missed her.
A muffled explosion in the distance jarred him back to reality. This was his reality now. This place, the smells, the foreign language. He ached to go home, but he knew why he was there. Smiling, he put the pictures back in his pocket, in the place closest to his heart. He picked up his gun and he went back to work. He is an American soldier.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 845 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Catrina Bradley
12/01/06
Wonderful! I was wondering who this "volunteer" was and was very pleased to see it was a soldier. (For ease of reading, you should put a space between each paragraph next time.) Good job!
Donna Powers
12/02/06
A good way to express the dedication of this earnest young man. Nice work.
Leigh MacKelvey
12/02/06
Nice job! It touched emotion. I agree with thinking about spacing in your next article. I enjoyed reading your article!
SHANEIL HARADA
12/03/06
This was wonderful. It was like you were writing about my baby brother who has been in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is my hero, thank you for so eloquently writing his story and that of so many others like him.