Every writer has a difficult scene to write. Sometimes a scene must be included because it sets up something important later in the story.
In Unlikely Candidate, I wrote about the death of Maggie and Craig’s daughter. The death of a child is always difficult to write, but there was a reason for it. I wanted to introduce the man who would later try to kill Maggie.
He was driving the fire truck that accidentally struck and killed Claire. Maggie told him she forgave him, but he could not forgive himself. In his troubled mind, the only way to escape what had happened was to kill Maggie. He did not succeed.
Operation Morning Glory is a more faith-filled book, mainly because I cannot live my life without faith in God. I have tried not to make the story preachy, but it contains many prayers.
Now we come to the hardest scene I have ever written.
President Maggie Culbertson, her husband, Craig, and their Secret Service agents, Kenneth Anderson and Harvey Harris, are selected to join a team of sharpshooters. Their mission is to rescue eight men being held captive by a terrorist group. One of those captives is Maggie and Craig’s son, Charles. Maggie, Craig, Kenneth, and Harvey are among the best marksmen in the country. Four military sharpshooters complete the team.
Maggie and Craig must make a terrible decision. Will they take another person’s life to save their son and the sons of other families?
They know the Bible commands us not to murder. They also know that taking a life—even to protect innocent people—is a serious decision for a Christian.
This was a difficult scene for me to write because I had to ask myself what I would do. Would I act to save my son, or would I stand by and let him die?
I knew my answer. I would save my son. I could not let him die if I had the power to stop it.
But how would I reach that decision? I would pray—a lot.
That is what Maggie and Craig do. They pray for guidance, courage, and forgiveness. At one point, Maggie asks God to forgive her for what she is about to do.
When it comes to our families, we want to move heaven and earth to protect them. We want them with us forever, but life does not always allow that.
What would you do if you had to choose between killing your child’s captors and allowing your child to die?
As adults, we sometimes face painful decisions. As Christians, we trust God to guide us, strengthen us, and hold our hands through the hardest moments.
Blessings,
Kathy Cretsinger, Author