In John 16:33 (King James Version), Jesus tells His disciples, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
This story began back in the early 1990s when our nephew was called to serve in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm. I wanted to write him on a regular basis while he was deployed, but our quiet farm life didn’t yield much interesting news. I tried instead writing him chapters of a story, much as J. R. R. Tolkien had done with his son during WWII. At the time, we did not know the actual fighting to free Kuwait would take four days.
Our nephew was home long before the story was completed, but my sister-in-law read the chapters sent to her son, and her comments triggered thoughts in my mind that would shape much of the rest of the story.
We live in a world that is polarized and angry. Everywhere we look, embers of turmoil smolder around us, and we do not know if it will be a choice we make or the belief of someone else that will set our world on fire. Though the characters in this story are fictional, many of the circumstances they face are very real. We, like the characters in this book, tend to underestimate the power of prayer and the unusual things that can happen when the Word of God mingles with the world of mankind. I hope Beyond the Fire will strengthen your faith and encourage your walk with God.