1st place || 2024
7th through 8th grade
A BATTLE WITH THE HEART
by Ainsley Carlson
It was midnight. The ticking of the clock was the only sound in the room. Tick tock tick tock. I stared out the window, wondering, “Am I really only doing this for myself?”
I couldn’t sleep. Harmony Village, where I live, is a small and quaint town, well-known for numerous scientific breakthroughs occurring here over the years.
I, scientist Felicity De Ploy, wanted to be the one to discover the next scientific breakthrough—a breakthrough that would hopefully change and revolutionize the world. I made such a discovery, but my science partners found it unethical.
My boss, Dr. Joy AnJente, told me, “Felicity, your work doesn’t deserve high honor, and it presents an unethical dilemma. You are disguising the truth. We look for both those elements to find a sustainable, practical, and note-worthy scientific breakthrough.”
Astounded, I answered, “Don’t all people label their breakthroughs better than they really are?”
“No,” she answered. “Felicity, what are you doing?”
I didn’t know. How could I discover something unethical and immoral? Was science getting to my head? As I asked myself before, am I really only doing this for myself?
After that toilsome conversation with my science partners, that question replayed in my mind over and over again.
My scientific breakthrough was an intelligent one and was honorable: I found a cure for skin disease! My treatment is taken three times a year and has healed fifty percent of people in the clinical trials. But the problem was that I was distorting the results: I was listing the results as ninety five percent instead of the actual fifty percent! I desperately needed my results to appear beneficial so that the medical community would recognize my discovery. When a discovery is recognized, it, along with its founder, is never forgotten.
On the other hand, my scientific partners found it to be undignified, untrustworthy, and dishonorable.
I thought about my scientific breakthrough. Science had weighed in on every one of my decisions during the last few months. Science was indeed getting to my head. All of a sudden, I wasn’t sure about anything. I needed a break—somewhere restful and relaxing.
I decided on a ski resort. Skiing is a past-time of mine. I bought a ticket for a morning flight. At the airport, I saw my boss, Dr. Anjente, in line. She introduced me to her friend and pastor, Robert Jaque. Pastor Jaque had heard of my scientific breakthrough, and he said that a cure for a skin disease was needed in Boldovia, where he was traveling.
I wasn’t sure what to say. Here I am going on a retreat to figure out what to do with my career and scientific breakthrough. There might be something more to this trip because Pastor Jaque invited me to join him. I immediately canceled my trip to the ski resort and bought a flight to Boldovia.
I was more confused now about what to do with my discovery than I was before I left. During my time in Boldovia, as I met all those people, a part of me said, go get ‘em! The other half said, bury your revolution and pretend it never happened!
In Boldovia, while walking in the woods, I found a plant I recognized from my college scientific studies, a plant that healed wounds. What if it healed skin diseases?
Days later, I was back home and needed to finally decide how this cure would impact the world around me.
Weeks passed and the deadline for my decision had arrived. Since my trip to Boldovia, I have studied the plant I had found there. After many clinical trials, the results showed seventy percent of the volunteers were healed.
One day, I was greeted by one of my closest friends, Judy Amore, while at the Harmony Village Science Building. Judy and I had met in middle school and discovered we both had a love for science. I decided she would be the best person to talk to about my dilemma. After deliberating with her about the last few weeks, Judy answered with the simplest response.
“Have you prayed about it, Felicity? God hears you.”
I had been so busy that I hadn’t thought about God, but, when I stopped to think about this, I realized that God was indeed at the center of it all.
“Judy,” I responded, “thank you.”
It was 11:55 PM. I had 5 minutes to announce my decision: would I launch something into the world with deceptive results for my own personal gain or would I shelve it in a box of ideas where it would likely be forgotten?
On the other hand, do I keep testing the natural cure that could help more people, deeming me as a scientist only, not a discoverer of a man-made cure?
I sat at my desk with a swirling tornado of emotions. My fingers touched the mouse, and every move brought me closer to pushing the send button for a certain fifty-fifty cure.
I was about to push send when a thought occurred to me: science wasn’t getting to my head—I was getting to my head. I had forgotten about anyone else because all I cared about was my revolution. God said to treat others as you would want to be treated. Is this how I would like to be treated?
Then, I thought about all of the Boldovians. They needed a reliable cure.
All of a sudden, I knew what was right. I buried my man-made idea, shut the computer, and went to bed with a tremendous peace—a peace that passes all understanding.
By the early afternoon of the following day, I had already started research on the natural cure that would change people’s lives for the good. Before bed, I went straight to my devotions. My devotionals said everything. Look to the Lord and His strength, dignity, and intelligence. I re-dedicated my life to Christ. This was the first step to searching for and exercising principle.
Ainsley Carlson is a sensitive, compassionate, fun-loving homeschooler residing in the Midwest. She loves writing, playing volleyball, spending time with her family (especially her younger sister), and aims to be a light for the Lord in everything she does.