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Overview
Donnie Slocum, twin to Connie in the book, In Straight Paths, finds himself entangled in Satan's net when he fails to heed his sister's pleadings to take the way of righteousness. He never meant to get so far away from God. At one time he had almost yielded. "I really want to change," he told Connie. Then he went back to college and his former companions. One thing led to another, and before long, he is faced with seemingly insurmountable problems. Drink and carelessness robbed him of his job, his lovely wife, Sharon, and his precious baby daughter, Christy.
In desperation, after he lost his job, Donnie staged a holdup at a service station in order to get money to return to his hometown and his mother. There he is constantly reminded of God's claims upon his life, and his mother's prayers thwart his every attempt to find any measure of happiness in the ways of sin and disobedience to God's commands.
Connie's letters telling of happiness working in primitive New Guinea with her husband, Larry, merely added to Donnie's frustration and misery. Always, she kept reminding him of her prayers for him.
After returning home, he continued to miss Sharon and Christy greatly and felt terrible for his actions that led to Sharon leaving and filing for divorce. He tried to reconcile to no avail. Finally, when reconciliation appeared hopeless, he met Lisa Whitfield and became engaged to be married. His pending marriage to Lisa was met with disapproval by Donnie's mother, who believed that Donnie's marriage to Sharon was “until death do us part”. Even when it appeared that Donnie and Lisa would marry, Mrs. Slocum continued to pray for Donnie's and Sharon's reconciliation. Lisa's Christian parents felt similarly to Mrs. Slocum and joined with her to pray for God's resolution to this situation. Continual ongoing prayers were also issued for Donnie's Christian conversion.
Just prior to Donnie's and Lisa's marriage, God answered their parents' prayers when Lisa was converted to Christianity and concluded that the marriage was not in God's will to proceed. Especially considering his prior marriage experience, this was difficult for Donnie to deal with.
Even though Donnie had been successful to this time in his attempt to resist it all--the prayers, the letters, the pleadings of Christian friends, and the inner voice--God reached down and plucked him out of the net and set his feet on the straight path to salvation.
His newfound Christian experience led him to make restitution for some of his prior transgressions, including the service station robbery, failure to pay rent and utilities, and theft from a friend. Donnie later felt called to the ministry even though he knew this would be difficult without his wife. He had continued to try to contact Sharon without success. He also felt conflicted about his call to the ministry and didn't know the best way to proceed.
A chance encounter with a minister, Jim Chaney, who had stopped to help him when Donnie was stranded due to car problems, led to Donnie's first ministerial experience at a small church in Jennings. At a Sunday service, he discovered a cute little girl that reminded him of his daughter. When he asked her name, she remarkably said it was “Christy”, and that her mother's name was “Momma Sharon”. Someone with Christy confirmed that Christy and Sharon indeed now lived in Jennings and provided their address.
Through this miraculous set of events, Donnie had re-discovered Christy and Sharon. After visiting Sharon, he was able to discuss his amazing life changes from his newfound Christian experience that made him a different person from the man that led to her leaving him in the first place. This resulted in the incredible reconciliation of Donnie and Sharon and a wonderful Christian experience for both.
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This Christian novel demonstrates that, when life situations seem the most hopeless, that prayer and trust in God can lead to miracles that far exceed human expectations.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940153865263 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Georgia McCain |
| Publication date: | 11/19/2016 |
| Sold by: | Smashwords |
| Format: | eBook |
| Sales rank: | 963,990 |
| File size: | 587 KB |
About the Author
Mrs. McCain died from injuries sustained in an automobile accident at age 87 on December 9, 2013. She maintained her Christian commitment and ministry, as well as her writing skills, until the time of her unfortunate death.
At the time of her death, many of her books were out of print. To preserve the books and allow many new readers to enjoy, the books are being converted to e-books by her family. To increase relevancy and impact to a more contemporary and international audience, minor edits to the original text have been made to some of the books.
The following article was published in the Cenla Focus in October 2012 prior to Mrs. McCain's death, and provides a synopsis of Mrs. McCain's life as an author. It was authored by Holly Jo Linzay
Georgia McCain, an author of 10 published books, recalls the day she felt the Lord Jesus lead her to start writing. "I was standing in the kitchen, and God asked me, 'What is that in your hand?" McCain remembers, and answered, "'Only a pen, Lord.' Then He asked me if I would use the pen for his honor and glory, and I said, 'Yes, Lord, as you direct me, I will write for the glory and honor of God."
That very night, her first short novel unfolded completely from beginning to end. "The Lord gave me the name of the book and just opened up the story for me from the first page to the last," notes McCain about her first book, Through Troubled Waters, which was published more than 40 years ago. Her first book is a work of fiction interwoven with Biblical truths. McCain has sold thousands of copies, and has received letters from people all over the world expressing how the book touched their hearts. "I never dreamed about writing a book, let alone getting one published,' McCain notes.
As a child, McCain wrote poems and made up short stories. In the ninth grade, as her teacher was passing out Christmas gifts to the class, she called McCain to the front of the classroom. She told the class that Georgia had a gift for all her classmates. Stunned, McCain realized her teacher had made copies of a story she had written and shared it with the class. From time to time, she would write another short story. Later, she was asked by a preacher to write a story that would continue and develop in a religious paper. 'I told him that I couldn't just sit down and write a story. God had to give me the thoughts: McCain recalls, remembering it was later that night that she heard God question her about writing. When her son, Danny, came home from college, he read her story, Through Troubled Waters, and encouraged McCain to get it published. "Everything I write, I want it to honor God,' McCain says with conviction.
The 84-year-old author is a woman of prayer, and has lived a life in pursuit of holiness. Growing up as one of 14 children In the rural community of Rigolette, McCain graduated from Tioga High School. At 19 years old, she met and started dating a young man named Carl McCain. He worked as a lineman for South Central Bell and she was working as a telephone operator. After a whirlwind courtship, the two were married on July 1, 1946.
The young couple made their home in Rigolette and raised their seven children--Ronald, Danny, Kenny, Randy, Barry, Donna and Jackie. The family attended Tioga Wesleyan Methodist Church, where Georgia and Carl served in every ministry they could. They have 19 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The two were married for 62 years before Carl passed away. Her home is a testament to a close-knit family with photographs vying for space on shelves stocked full with mementoes from the grandchildren. A legacy of love is showcased with framed drawings from the kids alongside epic poems written by McCain about her family.
In between her serving at her church and raising seven children, McCain found time to write more books. Her second book, Trials and Triumphs, is non-fiction and retates many of her personal experiences, including the loss of her four-month-old grandson, Nathaniel, to meningitis. Her third book, a fictional novel, Shattered Shackles, deals with alcoholism and its affect on a family. "My daddy was an alcoholic, who would say he was tapering off when he was trying to quit. Later, he did sober up," McCain says, adding that her real-life experience probably played a role in the book.
Another of her books, God's Little Lambs, is a compilation of stories written for children that can be read as bedtime stories or for family devotions. At one time, McCain says she felt impressed to write a novel about some twins. In Straight Paths, the story of fiery-tempered "Connie Slocum" unwinds as she struggles with heartaches, persecution, separation and loneliness. In the book's sequel, Plucked Out ofthe Net, Connie's twin brother, "Donnie Slocum," is featured in a story of redemption.
Three of McCain's books have dealt with prayer and answers to "prevailing" prayer. "It is absolutely amazing that God has spoken to me over and over, and keeps giving me books to write. He has faithfully led me all the way," notes McCain. In all, she has written 10 books, and family and friends are after her to write a book of poems. She has written long poems with clever rhymes marking nearly every milestone in her and her family's life.
It does not take long to get caught up reading one of McCain's books, and believing the incredible stories of faith in the non-fiction books. Written In such honest prose, her words flow from her heart and from a life seeking after holiness. If her books inspire and encourage or cause someone to "seek the Lord," then McCain says the books have served their purpose. "God deserves all the glory for anything accomplished through the writing or reading of these books," she emphasizes.
A woman of faith, McCain has taught Sunday School and Bible studies in just about every ministry at her church. In addition, for the last 34 years, she has taught three different Bible study groups at three different nursing homes. McCain has been honored and received numerous awards for her volunteer service from Ball Senior Citizens Center and various nursing homes. In 2001, she was named the Volunteer of the Year of Tioga Manor and named "Most Faithful" volunteer at two other nursing homes.
When her husband Carl served for a number of years on the Rapides Parish Police Jury, McCain supported him by participating in a variety of ways in the community. Known as a great cook by her family and friends, her daughter, Donna, presented her with a cookbook of the family recipes on her 50th wedding anniversary. Besides serving the Lord, McCain says her most important role in life has been as a wife and mother. She said all her children are “successful and love the Lord," and that they never gave her a "lick of trouble" beceuse she kept them in church and a "switch on their behinds", if needed. Her son, Danny, who is a missionary in Nigeria, even calls her every day.
McCain says she is "blessed beyond measure by the Lord" with family and friends. Some have called her a "prayer warrior," in seeking God's will in her life. One piece of advice she freely gives out to all who will listen is the same encouragement she offers in her last book, Walking with God for Over 50 Years, "Sometimes when we can't seem to pray our way through, we can often times praise our way through to God. Try it."