Robert Leatherwood

The Parable of the Ironman Robert Leatherwood

Bringing hope to all who face impossible situations. This thrilling tale has a simple message; God delights to use the unlikely candidates of this world for His greatest work. There is a purpose to pain, so this book will be a special read for anyone who has ever asked the question, "Why did God let it happen?" Furthermore, there is a secret in this book, a unique perspective held in common by all the great saints from the beginning of time. A secret so awesome that when understood is capable of unleashing the power of God in and through even the weakest human life. The tool I have used to convey this transforming perspective on adversity is mentoring relationships. Mentors are renown for imparting a perspective of resilience, turning every adversity into an opportunity for growth and therefore empowering students to transform weak spots to sweet spots. This parable lays hold on the imagery of sports to bring about a greater understanding of spiritual truths. Ace, our central figure is a hard core athlete who experiences an irreversible life altering tragedy. His life is then transformed from halting bitterness to joyful acceptance through the lessons he learns along the way to becoming an Ironman triathlete. This is not your typical novel, it is modeled intentionally after the literary classic: Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory where the characters embody the qualities suggested by their names. For example, in this story,"Buddy" is indeed a "best friend." The idea for the reader is to look for and identify the different types of racers with their various philosophies of preparation. Later, as the race progresses, we discovered the outcome of their often flawed approaches. Now your ready to take the journey with "Ace" to become an Ironman triathlete. So go for it. Dive in and discover, through a colorful cast of mentors, that the Scriptures are rich in the imagery of sports and watch the spiritual athletic metaphor unfolds with the turn of every page. So enjoy, "The Parable of the Ironman," for it is true, the kingdom of heaven is like an athlete who runs a race....