Prologue - the Prophet

In a tiny cabin just outside of a small town in Tennessee, an old man was asleep. His wife of forty-eight years lay beside him. The room was unpretentious in appearance, from its simple wooden bed frame to its handmade chest of drawers.

A man reaching nearly to the ceiling stood at the foot of the bed, watching the old man sleep. He wore a simple tan tunic; his steel blue eyes could penetrate your soul. He waited patiently for the old man to come fully awake. The room was quiet and dark, except for the light that emanated from him.

The old man suddenly jolted from his sleep, momentarily startled by the sight of the man he had come to call Samuel standing at the foot of his bed.

Samuel told him he had a message for him. It was not the first time Samuel had come with a message, and the old man knew he needed to pay close attention to what he had to say. He looked down at his wife, sound asleep beside him. She never woke during these visits.

This otherworld visitor told him a story of a young woman whose life was in danger. The old man understood what he must do; he knew what was expected of him. He needed to press in, pray, and listen closely to the Lord for direction. As Samuel continued his tale of this young woman, the old man’s heart filled with compassion. Samuel stood behind him as he got on his knees beside his bed and started to pray for the young woman he had never met. And so the journey began.

© Nadine Z. 2008