Into the Fire

On the thriller site I visit, the guys were praising the new movie of Mark Greaney's first in his series of The Gray Man. 

As the title implies, the average person would walk right by him and probably not give him a second look. The average stranger in a crowd. He's perfected the look of being unnoticeable while having gained the actual notoriety of being the top and almost mythically skilled assassin for hire. You want the best? You seek out The Gray Man. So when a brutal two-faced African dictator who's soon leaving his position as head of his country puts an indecently high bounty on the literal head of The Gray Man because of an incident concerning the dictator's brother, literal teams of killers from nearly every country are hired by a firm who wants one last deal with the dictator before he steps down. To secure that deal one representative seeks out The Gray Man's boss and to insure he gets what he wants from him, he presents a very real threat. 

Through the course of this story, Courtland Gentry (aka The Gray Man) is forced to figure out he's the target of some major killing teams. This realization slams him hard and requires every trick he's ever mastered in his covert practices plus being forced to seek aid where he's never had to go. No one could expect to escape multiple assassination attempts of this magnitude.

As you know, I've read loads of thrillers by some of the best in the genre. I will tell you this about Mark's book: I don't think I've ever read a novel that has more ongoing serious conflict where it's one life or death confrontation after another. You frequently hear reviewers say, "This story never lets up!" The only book I've ever read where that expression comes true is this one. It never lets up. In a way it's exhausting to read. Almost too much. 

Finally as the pages dwindle in another dire situation, there's a slight twist at the end.

If you're a diehard thriller fan who craves a lot of detailed action with all kinds of everything that entails, The Gray Man by Mark Greaney is the book for you and the beginning of potentially many more action-packed books in the series. 

Father, you know hearts and minds and everything else in all of us. Please bless your writers and authors. May they all know from whom their talent comes. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

. . . For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 

2 Timothy 4:3-5 (NIV)

Yup. This is pretty much how I felt today. Apparently, I've always been a drama queen. 

Sorry to repeat so many of these, but they make me laugh. Laughing is a good thing these days.

Father, thank you for the best parents, a great older brother, and a fairly idyllic childhood. I love you, Lord. Thank you for rescuing me when I strayed. Apart from you, I can do nothing. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Writers often face times of not being able to put the words on a page. Sometimes it's under pressure when they know they have to perform, to write those elusive words. Other times it's after starting something and suddenly the words won't surface. And still again it's when the desire is strong but the creativity lags. This is the peril of being a writer. 

When the struggle comes, and maybe for some it never will, I have no suggestions. If possible, take the break from words. Breathe deep. Pray. Continue however you must. If you can, ignore the quandary. If not, press on. Is there a foolproof solution? I highly doubt it, and I'm relatively certain there is no one-size-fits-all. 

The words will come at some point. You know they will. 

Father, please bless your writers and help them through every obstacle. Continue to reassure and lead us through all the struggles and all the joys. We thank you for the privilege of writing words. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

Great song. Great question. The Doobie Brothers made so much good music. 

Father, may you touch each one who sings and makes music and writes words. Remind them from whom their inspiration comes. Thank you for it all. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

The Record Keeper is the third book in Charles Martin's A Murphy Shepherd Novel Series, the meaningful and gut-wrenching stories of two men and unlimited numbers of their rescues from that horror of human-trafficking or "the flesh trade". 

This review is going to be a short one for me. There are just too many ways to unintentionally give away spoilers, and that's the last thing I want to do. What I will say about this trilogy is to strap on your toughness cloak – or whatever you use to fight off heart-rending cases of emotional turmoil – because you will be challenged at your most basic level of despair over man's inhumanity to man. You will be given a close look at the sex/flesh/human trafficking/trade and the absolute diabolical, demonic filth of those who engage in it, use it for blackmail, and ply it to make money hand-over-fist as the saying goes. There is just no logical way to prepare for it. 

Within the latter pages of this third installment, Charles, who is often vague and/or symbolic about faith/God issues in some of his stories, in The Record Keeper pulls out all the stops and uses what biblical scholars call a "type" when going through figures in the Bible that represent or show the characteristics of the Christ. If this awareness hits you any harder than it does "Murph", you will feel it deep in your spirit. There will be tears. Charles Martin's exquisite writing will bring you to your knees. 

The Record Keeper is a story of all kinds of heartbreak, recoveries, and more heartbreak. To be truthful with you, I had to set the book down frequently and regroup, take a breather. I could've finished it faster had it not done what I suspect is its intent which is to feel it. It's not just another collection, another trilogy. It's a full-on contemporary identification and account of an ongoing horror and struggle that is taking place all over this world under none other than Satanic direction – because the trade is bona fide evil, and there's absolutely no getting around it. Buckle up if you're going to read it. I recommend you start at the first (The Water Keeper) and diligently press on through the second (The Letter Keeper) to get to this one. You need to know about this, and there's simply no way to "pretty" it up.

Lord God, you see it all, the horror and pain, the vile and evil. Many wonder why you don't "fix" everything, but they don't understand the workings of the curse of sin – and we always want to ignore our own capabilities to commit our sinful ways and inclinations. I pray you would continue to use the gift you've poured out in Charles, and fill him with more touching, meaningful tales that tell so many truths. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

"The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through the prophet Isaiah: 

          " 'Go to this people and say,

          "You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

           you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."

          For this people's heart has become calloused;

           they hardly hear with their ears,

           and they have closed their eyes.

          Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

            hear with their ears,

            understand with their hearts

           and turn and I would heal them.'

     "Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" 

Acts 28:25b-29 (NIV) 

My first year at the track. The now defunct Longacres Racetrack, Barn 4B. Many years ago . . . 

Father, many more years later you rescued me from myself and gave me purpose. Thank you is never enough. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.