The Deepest Waters (Epic Journey #1)

by Dan Walsh

The Deepest Waters was inspired by true events that happened in September 1857. After reading the book, Dan has included a special note pointing out which parts of the story are true and which parts are fiction.

How does someone experience what he just did and within an hour find any good in it, let alone enough to shed tears of joy? She wanted to understand more about this unusual man.

And he read me a verse that say we’s all gonna be together again. Someday when this life is through. Seein’ that sky makes me think…like God is opening heaven’s door, to give me a peek. Say, ‘Micah, here’s what I have waitin’ for ya.”

It’s faith in what Jesus did that is most important, not what we do for Him. Believing His death on the cross is enough to pay for all our sins.

Jesus say, ‘Whoever committeth sin is a slave of sin, and a slave does not abideth in the house forever, but a son do. They’fore, if the Son maketh you free, you be free indeed.’ All at once it come to me…no man is free when his heart ain’t free. All them massahs I have, and all the bad things they done to me…they may be free the way man see it, but not the way Jesus see it. ‘Cause they ain’t free in here.” He pointed to his heart. “But if Jesus can make my heart free, can’t no man make a slave of me. Maybe they can on dis earth, the way man judge a thing. But one day, God will set everything right. ‘Tween then and now, Jesus set my heart free, from all the hate and fear and sadness inside. And…if the Son maketh you free, you be free indeed.”

“My faith is precious to me, but I’ve done nothing to deserve it. It came to me like a gift.” “Out here, at this moment…it is a gift more precious than gold, more precious even than water.”

But whenever I see you, you are joyful. I’ve never met anyone like you.” He smiled. “So you want to know my secret?” Laura smiled back. “Yes, very much.”

“I guess it be dis…live in the day, cause that’s all we been given, trust God fo’ da rest.”

“So what makin’ you sad, Miz Foster. Right now?” “Arriving in New York without John.” “Can you control that, make it how you want?” “No.” “And thinking about it, make you sadder, right?” She nodded. “But what else can I think about?” “How about did God do anything that made you happy, even for a little while?”

“Breakfast was very good.”

But something made you sad again.” “I started thinking about what would happen once we landed.” “See, you frettin’ about what might happen, before it do happen, and it might not ever happen the way you fear.”

“See, it’s all dem heavy thoughts steal our joy, the one’s we ain’t meant to carry.”

“I wish I could make myself do what you’re saying. But I’ve been this way…maybe all my life.” “Well, you don’t have to grab hold of it all at once,” he said. “Just one day at a time.”

“Or you could do like Crabby do. For her, a day’s way too long. She live moment by moment, and she got way more joy than me.”

A dog.

She envied how children could simply will away unpleasant thoughts, give themselves fully to whatever the day presented. Then it dawned on her: this is what Micah did, what he was trying to explain. Live in the day, don’t worry about things beyond your control.

“If God can appoint a bird to hit a sea captain in the head, cause that captain to change course, then steer him right through the middle of our group in the dark of night, then I suppose He can reunite us with our families.”

“It was a miracle, John, of biblical proportions.”