Rise Again

By Oneil Bennett

Your book is breathtaking, inspiring, and educating. I'm awed by God's awesomeness in your life. God preserved you for His mission on earth. And even when your life could have easily ended through crime, He held you up until His purpose for you was accomplished.

Your story will serve as a life manual to all who have immersed themselves in crime. It will guide the youth, not just members of your church but all who read it.

Personally, I learned a few things from proofreading and editing your story. I can't wait to apply them to my life's upliftment.

This book will meet its target objective and positively impact lives. Having said this, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. God bless you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781667890944

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Start

In every aspect of life, there must be a start or a beginning. Life itself begins with the concept of a starting point. Scripturally speaking, the book of Genesis provides us with the greatest example of the foundation or beginning for life, and the very first verse provides the platform for creativity and productivity, In the beginning, God created heaven and earth. To begin or start occurs in both good and bad situations; but it is usually during or after an occurrence that we can readily identify whether or not a particular situation was a benefit or a disadvantage to our lives. For example, an individual decides to get into a car and wants to drive to a particular destination, however the car cannot be driven unless it is started. Yet, these are the examples we often see in life; the analogy of a driver who has gotten into the driving position and is unaware of how they are going to arrive at their desired destination. Therefore, it is advisable that under no circumstances should anyone get into the driver’s seat unless he or she knows how to drive or are learning how to drive. Even then, if an individual is learning how to drive, it should be under the supervision of a licensed and experienced  driver.

Secondly, in the rules of driving, there are certain laws that must be observed in order to qualify as an effective driver. For one, a car must be properly licensed and insured before attempting to drive it, so as to properly account for liabilities in the event of an accident, which may or may not cost your life or the life of someone else. Some people have been blessed to walk away from deadly accidents, while others were not so fortunate. Some have even suffered fatalities in what appeared to be a small bumper-to-bumper collision. In any case, the point of this car analogy is to illustrate that one would not just randomly get into the driver’s seat of a vehicle without first knowing certain crucial details on how to drive and the correct way of navigating a vehicle. Likewise, in life, we would not attempt to approach or handle a situation in which we have not researched, have no idea of what we’re doing or is clueless about the direction on where we are going.

Chapter 2

The Point of Imagination

Imagine driving in a brand-new Mercedes Benz with some of your friends and you become involved in an auto accident. You are the only survivor and your new C-class convertible was totaled by the insurance company. In this situation, what if you did not have adequate car insurance to cover the cost of replacing your vehicle? Not only would you lose out on the market value of what you paid for the car but if you aren’t in a financial position to get a new one, you’d now have to begin driving around in a less than desirable vehicle, like a jalopy. When impactful incidents like these occur, the fear of facing the roads again may leave an emotional scar that takes you many years to drive another new car or even to ever drive again. The aftermath of a motor vehicle accident may feel like the equivalence of traveling to hell and back. Feeling frustrated and left to now recover the damages while trying to maintain your normal lifestyle may seem even more overwhelming. The replacement jalopy you’ve had to resort to driving keeps giving mechanical issues and breaks down frequently to the point where the mechanics seem useless. The days seem longer and longer and you grow even more impatient at your circumstances. This is when you realize your own strength cannot possibly fix or repair your spiritual, physical and emotional state of being and you commit your situation to prayer and fasting.

Suddenly, a miracle happens! You are now in a position to drive not only a newer vehicle, but a better one than you previously had. Given the severity of the previous situation, you are not even sure why or how you even have another chance. Years later, looking back at your circumstances, you arrive at the epiphany of realization of what may have actually transpired.

My life is the example of that car. I have been through bouts of recurring good, moments of unbearable turmoil, and then the triumph of good again. Through it all however, I seemed to elevate to an even higher altitude of understanding than I was before, gained a more positive attitude, and received the gift of salvation which will lead to eternal life. This is because, in my mathematical equation, I have an assurance that the outcome of my circumstances will always be positive regardless of the negative factors pending.

Chapter 3

My Early Church Life

Iwas born the third child to my parents, and for a long time, I was the baby. I was always known for being the smartest, but I also caused the most trouble. However, my seeds were planted in fertile soil because I grew up in the church. I attended church almost every Sunday and was only absent if there was an emergency or good reason. Attending church was so serious that even if I was playing outside and stubbed my toe to the point where it bled, I would still have to tie my shoes around my feet or walk barefooted