A Walk Through the Light: 10 Stories of Hope

by Jesse Birkey

Fourteen-year-old Jamal pressed the barrel of his weapon against the forehead of the man who took his baby sister’s life. His finger tightened around the trigger, but memories of his mother assaulted his mind, making him hesitate. Are they, along with the appearance of a mysterious stranger, enough to keep him from choosing a road that stretches into deeper darkness?

Jamal and others in this 10-story collection find themselves lost in dark alleys, strange towns, vacant homes and similar places, struggling to decide if there’s anything left worth fighting for. Darkness circles like thick hands slowly squeezing the life from someone’s neck, but light still beckons from surprising sources, giving starving lungs one last breath of hope.

Can Jamal and the others lift their heads long enough to see that all isn’t lost, that the light inside of them and around them hasn’t been extinguished forever? Or will they allow the fog to permanently drag them down into the depths of despair?

106 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 14, 2017

About the author

Jesse grew up in a Christian home. His father was a Mennonite Pastor and Mother a nurse. He grew up with the knowledge of God but denied the power of God to change his life. This led to a desperate search for worth, which brought hardship as he embraced the comforts of the world. He completed college at Hesston Mennonite with an associate's degree in business. At 21 Jesse had been hired as a firefighter/paramedic, married Kara and bought their first house together. A year later their son was born followed by their daughter two years after that. Jesse was 26 when the power of God's love finally broke through his hard heart. Everything in his life began to change as he pursued God with passion and zeal. God began to direct Jesse through seasons of spiritual change, bringing encouragement and correction as He sought to mature him in the things of His heart. Jesse began to recognize that God wanted to be a part of his work life and began to see miracles as he ministered the love of God in the back of his ambulance ranging from the dead raised to self hate being destroyed as the perfect love of God washed through. God began to show him that God wants to use ordinary people in extraordinary ways. It was Jesse's passion for others to know this, and the testimonies God had built in and through him, that led him to write Life Resurrected, Extraordinary Miracles through Ordinary People. Jesse's passion is to be like Jesus and continues to minister as led daily.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you open the pages of A Walk Through the Light, you will find 10 amazing stories that grapple with tough issues while filling you with hope for your own struggles. Whether you are dealing with matters of identity to relationships to finances or more, the characters within these pages will come to life, giving you a new perspective for your own problems.

Each story—so powerful in its own right—tugs at a different strand in your heart. Jesse pulled out the big guns first—literally—and started out with a bang with “The Edge of Night.” This one might be my favorite. I love the imagery in “Bloom”—the setting in the mountains, the lighting, the atmosphere and fragrance of the flower shop. I can almost smell the flowers now. And that ending. Perfection. Then again, this one might be my favorite. In “Drifter,” life hasn’t been kind to a down-and-out man, and his own choices have worsened his problems. Until one day, that’s all about to change. My eyes welled up at this one, too.

I read a lot of novels but love a well-crafted short story. Last year, I picked up a book with some of the top stories of a previous year. To say those stories were depressing is an understatement. I know full well that literature doesn’t always have a happy ending. However, I don’t want to stay stuck when I read. I want to find some redeeming quality. Jesse's stories brought that on every single page. He deals with raw subjects, hurting people who have been through hell. Some choose to stay there, at least for today. Others choose freedom. No matter their choice, Jesse weaves hope through each page, hope that God is present in every situation.

One word sums this up for me—stellar. 5/5 stars.

[Chuck Ammons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartfelt and inspiring!

Short stories are so difficult to do well. Developing a character and setting that can move you in such a small space is no easy feat. Jesse Birkey brought 10 such stories beautifully to life. Honest. Vivid and hope-filled. Recommended!

[Daniel Kent · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world eager to watch movies and read books that glorify darkness, and that strive to be more "gritty," or "real," Birkey gives us a collection of short stories that glorify the light, even in the depths of darkness. So many modern stories end with the same lame revelation: the world is evil and there's not much hope. Jesse's stories end with the exact opposite: God is good and profound hope waits for our embrace.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good descriptions. Warning: swearing and rated PG13 scenarios.

[Diana Jamerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the variety of short stories that this book had to offer. They were a welcomed break from some of the more serious, but necessary, reading that I normally do. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to read, but sometimes only has a short time to do so. You can read a whole story in a short amount of time, which is really nice. I hope this author does another book of short stories.