The Breach
by
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Startled! Her head quickly jerked to the left towards the small oaken nightstand. There was no apparent sound or disturbance, only the glow of the large red numbers that brightly announced the early hour. At 2:34 am, nothing much stirred in Carrolton Virginia. Gertie slowly turned to her right to find Adam deeply enthralled in championship horseshoes or crabbing in the Chesapeake Bay, or some other pleasant dream. Convinced he had not nudged her, she found herself fully awakened for no apparent reason. She gently lay her head back upon her pillow, and carefully rearranged her netted rollers back into place. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of meadows and warm sunshine - but she was still unable to cross the threshold into sleep. Instead, her mind fixed on an old familiar hymn,
"Ere you left your room this morning - Did you think to pray?As her mind repeated the chorus for the third time, she decided that the Lord was calling her - again.
In the name of Christ, our Savior,
Did you sue for loving favors, As a shield to-day?
O how praying rests the weary! Prayer will change the night to day;
So when life seems dark and dreary,
Don't forget to pray."
Slowly sliding her legs from under the heavy covers, she reached beside the nightstand for the aluminum walker. She gripped the plastic coated handles firmly before rising and placing any of her weight on her feet. Her fur-lined house-shoes lay in their space beside the bed and she gingerly slid each foot into place before taking her first step. They felt especially warm for this early autumn frost. The rubber tips squeaked once across the cold hardwood floor, and she quickly lifted the walker, so as not to awaken Adam. She made her steps deliberate and careful, and soon was through the landing and down the hall towards the den. Not wishing to flood the hallway with light, she focused what little night vision she still had on the moonlight coming through the windows. As she pushed the door slightly to the side she felt along the wall for the end table where her mother's porcelain lamp sat. She turned the brass key-shaped switch twice and a soft glow illuminated nearly a third of the room.
Gertie knew this feeling well. She was not prone to insomnia, heartburn, or restless anxiety. She was sensitive to prompting. As a young girl, she had found the greatest need of her life was to know intimately her Lord and Savior, and in simple prayer, she established that relationship. Through the years, she took seriously the calling to come apart from the affairs of this life and enter "her closet" alone to be with the One Who loved her and cared for her. In exchange, she found that there were distinct times when her Heavenly Father called her to "the closet" for a time of special prayer. As Job offered sacrifice for the possible sins committed by his children in their hearts, she had interceded for hers. As Abraham "bartered" with a just and holy God for the doomed city of Sodom, she had pleaded on behalf of lost loved ones. As Moses offered himself in place of a wayward Israel, she had felt the responsibility of praying fervently for her church, her community and her country. She was an Esther, who had just been summoned into the presence of her King.
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About the Book
One rainy night in Southern Honduras, a would-be attacker falls victim to his own snare. Veteran missionary, Carey Eldridge, becomes responsible for the death of his attacker. Now he faces the confusion of his calling, the fear of failure in his mission, and the danger of the attacker's brother seeking revenge.
On that same fateful evening, a Southern California pastor crosses swords with his rebellious daughter and the wheels are set in motion for her break from home. Dr. Howard Pennington must learn some important lessons about family and ministry and priorities and he hasn't long to learn them.
Unbeknownst to both men is Gertie Baxter, a warrior with a walker, whom God has summoned to prayer. From almost three thousand miles away, Gertie intercedes for Carey and Howard as God weaves both stories into one.
The Breach is about God's calling, faithfulness, prayer, and God's activity during the difficult times of our lives. Ministers face crisis also. The Breach looks at how God seeks to fill in the gaps.
About the Author
Randy Pool, native of Tennessee, is the son of a career Navy officer, and lived on both coasts and Puerto Rico before becoming a teenager and returning to Tennessee. He received his B.A. from Union University (Jackson, TN) as a Religion/Greek composite major. He went on to earn his Master of Divinity from the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary of Memphis, TN.
Randy's labors in ministry have included children's work, youth work, prison work, the pastorate, international mission service and now local missions among the poor. His mission service includes a year in tropical Costa Rica, seven years in the south of Honduras, and one year in Nicaragua. Randy returned to Tennessee with his family where he now works with the Mississippi River Ministry of Tennessee and the Gibson Baptist Association.
He is a husband and father of three, Timothy, Tiffany and Christina. He has striven diligently to pass the legacy of the 70's and it's music on to his offspring with some degree of success. This has made long family car trips endurable. Writing is his favorite pastime. He has written a devotional with poetry entitled "Poolside Reflections". He has several articles printed in various mission publications.
It has been said that men are defined by what they do. If such were the case, then Randy Pool would be a missionary. But those who know him – know there is more. Randy enjoys telling stories and finds humor to be a means of equalizing most conversations. Even his wife, Cindy, is not sure how to define Randy after twenty-five years of marriage, but one thing is for certain. He is not just a missionary.