Honestly, I didn't read every word of this book. It was a hard book, though a fabulous one, and I didn't quite have the emotional energy or time to read every word.
Still, it was powerful and it was good and I would recommend it.
When I Lay My Isaac Down describes the devastation of Carol and Gene Kent and their extended family when Carol and Gene's only child, a 25 year old naval lieutenant, is arrested and ultimately convicted of first degree murder. The situation was tragic beyond belief -- Jason, their son, was married to a woman whose first marriage had been marred by abuse. Jason's wife brought 2 daughters into the marriage, and Jason became a loving and protective stepfather. Fairly early in Jason's marriage, the ex-husband started seeking partial custody of the 2 children with no oversight. Jason and his wife were very fearful of this as they were concerned the children might be abused. Jason decided it was his personal responsibility to protect his stepdaughters from their father, drove 6+ hours to a FL shopping mall, and shot the ex-husband to death in a parking lot.
Jason was ultimately convicted of first degree murder without the possibility of parole. And indeed, while Carol and her family have prayed for a change in that sentence -- it honestly seems like a very logical sentence. Yes, Jason was fearful for the safety of his daughters...but we can't live in a society where a man takes the law into his own hands and murders a man. I can imagine a slightly different sentence, but Jason is definitely guilty of premeditated murder.
The book is very honest about how hard the whole process was and is. Jason is still in prison, 15 years after the murder. He'll probably be there the rest of his life. His parents emptied savings accounts and have made countless sacrifices to support their son. I totally agree with that. He is their son. We are all sinners before God, and He continues to love us just as the Kents continue to love and support their son.
This murder took the Kents completely by surprise. I have read many books where a child 'went off the rails' but usually there was SOME build up to it. Sometimes there was no real understanding about WHY the child made terrible decisions, but usually there were steps in the process. In Jason's case, the whole thing seems totally bewildering. How does a supposedly devout Christian man with education and good parenting make a choice like that? The aftermath should have been totally obvious to Jason -- he went to prison. His new wife and daughters were left with all the fallout. The wife's thought processes are not described in detail, but I can't imagine how hard it must have been to have her ex-husband shot to death by her current husband. Can't imagine. The ex-husband, if he was not a Christian, was condemned to @#!*% for eternity by a man who claims to be a believer.
I know in my head that bad things happen to Christians, ALL THE TIME. All the time. But I guess with parenting, I really hope that praying faithfully for my children, teaching them well, etc. will help them avoid really life destroying decisions on their part. In the Kents' case, their son made a dreadful, awful decision in spite of the Kents doing most things right. Of course they weren't perfect, none of us are, but they were (by today's standards) very good parents. Cancer and auto accidents and other tragedies seem more impersonal. Jason's decision changed his life irrevocably for the worse, and deeply damaged the lives of his family. To his credit, he is now ministering to other prisoners and seeking the Lord with all his heart but still -- this wasn't what anyone fathomed for a young man with so much promise.
So yeah, life can be really hard. People we love can make very poor decisions. We live in a Fallen WORLD. Sometimes we just have to cling to Jesus in the middle of the storm, and know that in spite of sorrow for the rest of our days, He will carry us.
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