This is a Christian thriller that inspires strong emotions ranging from anger, sympathy, fear, and hope. The story is a work of fiction and it is set in modern-day Trenton city, New Jersey, USA.
Creston Mapes draws attention to issues that affect Christians in society. He depicts problems such as mental health, depression, suicide, and suicidal thoughts, blackmail, faith, forgiveness, and fear. The story brings to light the fact that the experiences we have in life, especially in our formative years can change the course of our entire existence. You may wonder at some point in this book if some people are predestined to live a life of love, joy, and peace; while others are predestined to live a life of pain, abuse, and neglect. This fact was illustrated by the characters in the book.
Granger Meade was abused as a child, even by his own parents and he never recovered from the sordid experience. He was bullied in school and he never really fit into society, nor was he accepted by anyone except his childhood school mate. In the book, you will read how those experiences shaped his decision-making process.
Pamela Crittendon grew up in a loving Christian home and was raising a beautiful family until her whole life was turned upside down by a series of unpleasant event. Her story indicates how important faith and total trust in God can help a person survive a crisis.
How do you respond to threat? How do you defend your loved ones in times of crisis and uncertainty? Jack Crittendon, an investigative journalist with a local newspaper, an amazing husband, father, and believer shows us how people faced with threats to their loved ones respond or react with mixed emotions.
Evan McDaniel is a pastor who had to deal with the complexities of church management and church politics. As a result, he had bouts of depression, suicidal thoughts, and psychological crisis. What seemed like a hopeless situation for him was resolved through forgiveness and divine intervention.
Creston Mapes book leaves you with some questions. First, can a genuine Christian be depressed and have suicidal thoughts?
In the Bible Psalm 42:5 says, “why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation.” David is an example of a Bible character that experienced depression at different points in his life. The psalm quoted is a testament to the fact that our Lord wants us to be free from depression and to trust in His salvation. As Christians, depression, and fear takes our focus from the supremacy and sovereignty of God and places it in our circumstances and limitations. At the end of the book, I hope you can identify your fears, hand it over to God and come into the awareness that God has got your back. We cannot control our situations and the outcomes, but we can be assured that God has only good intentions for us (Jeremiah 29:11).
Eko Markus
Eko is a lawyer, wife, mother, and believer. She loves reading and writing words the Lord lays in her heart to be a source of inspiration.
Christians can be suicidal and while we’ve come a long way in understanding, we have a ways to go. I look forward to reading this. Happy to have only recently discovered Our Shared Tales.
I agree Lisa, Christians can be depressed and suicidal. We are humans and we feel different things, but the grace of God is sufficient to see us through tough times.
Sadly, I do agree that Christians can be suicidal and depressed but this isn’t what our heavenly father design for us , a British preacher and author Smith Wigglesworth of blessed memory once said when asked how he was feeling on a certain day his reply was “I don’t ask Smith Wigglesworth how he feels but I tell Smith how He should feel. We are Christians, new creations not a updated version of beings but an entirely new creature created in the image of God . As He said in his word, as He is so are we in this present world. I have been inspired often by one of my great teachers Keith Moore to imagine calling God on the telephone to chat and He response to questions like how are you feeling today would be “am having a bad day ” , Today is not one of those days “, Everything is going so wrong “, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed ” to name a few. You can’t picture that right. It is time as christians we take our rightful place, we are faith beings we work not after the flesh, but are led by the spirit, the bible says without faith it is impossible to please God. God has again and again in scripture shown us our place in this world, for instance in Psalms 82:5-7 the bible says, they know not neither will the understand … , I have said ye are gods and all of you are children of the most high , but ye shall die like men and fall like one of the princes. This is God telling us our status on this earth we are not men but gods faith beings , recognizing this and working in this consciousness brings us into the newness of life. Ourshared Tales thank you for this Platform which inspire writing and reading and sharing God’s word.
Thank you, Ima for this great encouragement from the word. May our hearts be enlightened to live the way God designed for us.