Excerpt from Condemned to Die:

Forgiveness

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Ephesians 4:31

My father was a preacher. I spent my growing up years on the second pew on the left, sitting by my mother. My older brother sat on the front pew. Daddy was an old-time preacher, loud and long-winded. No microphone for him. I always suspected that he learned to project his voice in his days at Trevecca Nazarene School of Theology in the early 50’s.

          I can’t remember a sermon that lasted less than 45 minutes. The heat of the day, the hardness of the seats; when Daddy was preaching, none of that mattered. In my childish opinion, Daddy learned these long sermons from Trevecca and my discomfort was all their fault. And, as most preacher’s kids do, when Daddy got started preaching, I tuned out.

          When Brenna grew old enough to ask about the granddaddy she never knew, she was enthralled with his commentaries. She wished she had the rest of his books to study. While those were long gone, she began to grow her own stack of books on faith and peace and hope and the love of God. She asked me many questions about her precious Granddaddy’s sermons and his beliefs. While my father died long before Brenna was born, she seemed to have a natural affinity for him. She would always ask, “Mom, would Granddaddy have loved me?” “Yes, he really would. He always wanted a granddaughter and you would have fit the bill.” She wanted to live her life in a way that would please Granddaddy, but most of all she wanted to please her God.

          While I may have tuned out my father’s sermons on forgiveness and remembered little he said, Brenna’s search for knowledge and her insight brought me to heel. She would read her Bible and think her deep thoughts. Then, when her thoughts were gathered, she brought her views to me.

          When crises happen, many parents and family members wonder about the condition of the heart of their loved one. Is she alright with her soul?  If she died today, where would she go? For many of us who have lived and breathed fire-and-brimstone sermons that scared us away from hell, we wonder about the new generation. What are they thinking?  Are they ready? What is the condition of her soul? With Brenna, I knew.

[For the rest of this chapter, purchase Condemned to Die: Ask me how. Tell me why. at Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble online. Available in Kindle and Nook]