I’ve always loved reading memoirs about how people survive deep sorrow and loss. Forged through Fire
The first chapter had me hanging on every word as 16-year-old Mark desperately tried to save his family. His dad was out of town and left him to be the “man of the house.” Before the trip, his dad took the smoke detectors down to change the batteries. But he didn’t have time to go to the store and buy new batteries. He left them on the counter.
The descriptions of the fire, the screams, his pain, and waking up to find out his brother and mom had died, were heartwrenching.
His long road to recovery made you wonder how anyone could bear such physical pain. He endured regular grafting surgeries, dressing changes, reconstructive surgeries, and postoperative rehabilitation.
“Unwrapping and redressing the wounds and all my extremities was a three-hour physical and emotional trauma.”
During one horrific surgery, the anesthesia didn’t work and Mark was fully paralyzed but still conscious.
“I was mentally awake, fully conscious, feeling every stab and slash of pain but unable to raise an alarm or communicate a distress signal in any fashion.”
During a near-death experience, Mark had an encounter with Jesus that lead him to faith in God. When recovery was difficult, his faith was strengthened along the way by a caring doctor who not only was an answer to prayer but sparked his desire to want to help others in the same way he’d been cared for.
The author shares honestly about his sometimes wavering faith in God through trials, and God’s answer to his cries for help.
My favorite paragraphs in the book revealed the truth I have discovered in my own life when facing fear.
“Many claim that when faith is strong enough, there is no cause for fear. But for me, it was within the context of fear that my quest for faith began. It seemed only natural that I should fear the potentially challenging obstacles ahead or the pain that I expected to confront along the way. Yet, I was learning that I could have those fears while remaining faithful that God would stay nearby if I asked him to, helping me to meet the demands head-on. The true measure of my success was evident in the progressively increasing amount of trust I had that he was there to help me through the process.”
“While fear and faith may not be present simultaneously, I have found they can reside in close proximity. Even with a faith great enough to move mountains, or with an unshakable spiritual foundation that comes from a near-death experience such as mine, some anxiety about the unknown terrain ahead seems only natural. Yet, that deep emotional imprint enables any fear to become the context in which I build the faith to overcome it.”
Now Mark is a plastic and reconstructive surgeon helping others who face the life-changing effects of disease and injury.
Hello there! I'm Valerie, a mom of four and wife of 27 years. My writing inspires others to cultivate courageous faith and find solace in trusting God, especially in moments of fear and uncertainty. Join me on this adventure as we explore the beauty of trusting God when we are afraid. 
