The Bridge: Between "Cell Block A" and a "Miracle" Is: Psalm 91 by Jackie Carpenter

This is a true story of Jason Veitch, a contractor who was the victim of theft of copper from several of his job sites, who then following the advice of a sheriff's deputy, "staked out" one of his job sites to try to catch the thieves.  Unfortunately a man was accidentally killed by Jason, which started the worst 10 months of his life and the lives of his family and friends.

The author, his mother endured this time while leaning heavily on her faith which she shares with us in this heartbreaking story.  Psalm 91 is pretty powerful and I am glad it gave her strength (see below).  

I am a  Christian who believes I am still on this earth after a horrid car accident in 2001, my own "miracle".  I looked at this book from two sides, one from the Christian view point, where I know God's loving hands touch all things, but also from a secular viewpoint where I believe the defense attorneys did their job, presented the truth, and the jurors and judge did their jobs in finding the right verdict.   The author's faith is genuine and I am not questioning that all, but it would have been a terrible injustice for the verdict to go any other way and would leave many questioning the system.  I do believe that Jason was wrong to handle the situation the way he did, if he wanted to "stake out" his job site, I think he should have carried a camera instead of a gun and let the sheriff apprehend the criminals using the pictures as evidence.  I feel he was very lucky to have escaped with his own life and not to receive any penalty for his actions.  He put himself in a very dangerous position and would not encourage others to follow in his footsteps, they may not be as lucky.

While this is a very strong story topic and the mother's words compelling I feel the book was just okay.  Some readers will love it, other will hate it.  It left me feeling very conflicted.

Psalm 91

 ¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
       will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. ^[a]
 2 I will say ^[b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
       my God, in whom I trust."
 ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
       and from the deadly pestilence.
 ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
       and under his wings you will find refuge;
       his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
 ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
       nor the arrow that flies by day,
 ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
       nor the plague that destroys at midday.
 ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
       ten thousand at your right hand,
       but it will not come near you.
 ⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
       and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling—
       even the LORD, who is my refuge-
 ¹⁰ then no harm will befall you,
       no disaster will come near your tent.
 ¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
       to guard you in all your ways;
 ¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
       so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
 ¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
       you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
       I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
 ¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
       I will be with him in trouble,
       I will deliver him and honor him.
 ¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him
       and show him my salvation."

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bostick Communications. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”