Amazing Grace

This story is about Thomas growing up in a southern Mississippi town. He was raised under stern
conditions along with committed Christian values and enduring faith. The rules of the home were
Christian living and attending church on Sundays regularly in addition to attending Wednesday’s
nights Bible meetings. His other obligations were to attend to farming chores and the consequential
discipline of retribution for any rules broken. These exacting rules were placed by his father of t ‘Big
Jim’ who was a small-time preacher with a congregation of approximately twenty-five active
members this was a modest congregation, but that did not matter to Jim since he considered himself
just as good as some mega-church preachers; regardless of the very apparent reality; however, he
was mediocre at best. Some would regard Jim as just a big fish preacher in a small pound. The
protagonist Thomas the elder sibling, is the only male involved and assumes most of the
responsibility on the farm. Thomas carried intense lessons from his father early in life concerning the
good go to heaven and the bad will land in hell at the end of one’s life if he is not right with God.
These beliefs followed him throughout his life. The narrative speaks of Thomas becoming
disillusioned about being targeted for doing most of the hard work and suffering stern retribution. As
a result, he leaves home at the age of fourteen and later becomes exposed to drug dealings,
gambling, and running around with prostitutes, all of which were regarded as sins by the church. This
new lifestyle contrasted with his rigorous upbringing. He realizes that his choice to leave home was a
mistake too late. He finds in the end that it was amazing grace that saved his life.