Sirls conceived this, his first novel, before he was imprisoned for wire fraud and money laundering. After his release, he attempted to self-publish a much altered version, and an advance copy landed on a desk at Thomas Nelson, who signed the author to a multibook contract. The novel has a strong spiritual element. When a lightning bolt shatters a decorative cross in the yard of a church in a small town in Michigan, a carpenter shows up to repair it. But the carpenter is no ordinary man, as the church pastor, his odd family, and local medical staff treating his adoptive grandchild for leukemia find out in a series of miraculous events that change them dramatically. Sirls relates a parable about characters who discover where God is when they suffer and when people die. This is a skillfully written first novel with the narrative voice, knack for dialogue, and plot movement of a veteran author. (Sept.)
When facing the impossible, will you believe? Storm clouds gather over a small Michigan town. As thunder shakes the sky, the lights inside St. Thomas Church flicker... and then go out. All is black until a thick bolt of lightning slices the sky, striking the church's large wooden cross - leaving it ablaze and splintered in two. When the storm ends, the search for answers begins. James Lindy, the church's blind minister, wonders how his small congregation can repair the cross and keep their faith in the midst of adversity. And he hears the words “only believe.” Macey Lewis, the town's brilliant young oncologist, is drawn to Alex, a young boy who's recently been diagnosed with an aggressive leukemia. She puts her hope in modern medicine - yet is challenged to “only believe.” And Alex's single mom, who has given everything she can to her boy, is pleading with God to know the reason this is happening... to save her son. But she only hears silence and wonders how she can possibly “only believe.” The Reason is a milestone debut novel, opening with a thunderbolt and never letting up as it introduces us to everyday characters who are wrestling with the questions: Where is God when bad things happen? And does God ignore the prayers of the faithful? The answer each character receives will astound listeners while offering an unforgettable call to hope, to change, to . . . only believe.
When facing the impossible, will you believe? Storm clouds gather over a small Michigan town. As thunder shakes the sky, the lights inside St. Thomas Church flicker... and then go out. All is black until a thick bolt of lightning slices the sky, striking the church's large wooden cross - leaving it ablaze and splintered in two. When the storm ends, the search for answers begins. James Lindy, the church's blind minister, wonders how his small congregation can repair the cross and keep their faith in the midst of adversity. And he hears the words “only believe.” Macey Lewis, the town's brilliant young oncologist, is drawn to Alex, a young boy who's recently been diagnosed with an aggressive leukemia. She puts her hope in modern medicine - yet is challenged to “only believe.” And Alex's single mom, who has given everything she can to her boy, is pleading with God to know the reason this is happening... to save her son. But she only hears silence and wonders how she can possibly “only believe.” The Reason is a milestone debut novel, opening with a thunderbolt and never letting up as it introduces us to everyday characters who are wrestling with the questions: Where is God when bad things happen? And does God ignore the prayers of the faithful? The answer each character receives will astound listeners while offering an unforgettable call to hope, to change, to . . . only believe.
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
BN ID: | 2940169230352 |
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Publisher: | Oasis Audio |
Publication date: | 10/01/2012 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |