The Fourth Fisherman by Joe Kissack

This little gem of a book made it’s way to me around the holiday.  I’d say it was definitely a God thing as I needed to read this particular work as it reaffirms the decision to make some changes in my own life so that the relationships that truly matter get center stage.

Synopsis ~

We each came to a moment of brokenness;
what we found there was God.
And he was enough.
It was the subject of headlines around the world:  Three Mexican fishermen in a small open boat without any supplies, drifting for more than nine months and 5,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean. Through blistering sun and threatening storms, they battle starvation, dehydration, hopelessness, and death. Their lifelines? An unwavering faith and a tattered Bible.
Thousands of miles away, Joe Kissack, a successful Hollywood executive, personified the American dream. He enjoyed the trappings of the good life: a mini mansion, sports cars, and more. He had it made. Yet the intense pressure of his driven and high-powered career sends him into a downward spiral, driving him deep into suicidal depression, insidious addictions, and alienation from his family. His lifelines? A friend and a Bible on the table between them.
Thoughtfully told with candor and humor, Kissack weaves together the incredible true voyage of fishermen adrift in the sea and his own life’s journey as a man lost in the world. It is a story that will buoy your spirit and renew your hope and faith.

My Thoughts~

Mr. Kissack has done a wonderful job of intertwining the story of the three Mexican fishermen who were believed dead and his own spiritual journey.  He takes the reader through a brief history of his ‘rise’ in terms of worldly success and then his fall from it.  While he was already on the road to recovery and growing in his relationship with God when he hears about the fisherman, it is through his pursuit of their story that he finally realizes what his priorities should be and then is able to grow in relationships with his family.

While I do not have a well paying, high powered job like Mr. Kissack had for years, I can relate to how easily we can chase after worldly success as a means to validate our worth.  I find this in the verbal competition where parents start bragging about how great their kids are.  If your kids don’t measure up to the others, then it reflect poorly upon you as a parent.  For those of us who are stay at home mothers, our ‘worth’ in the eyes of others can seem to be completely wrapped up in the successes or failures of our children.

It took years of misery and a trip through abuse of medications to deaden his emotions that had Mr. Kissack crying out for God to help him…or just let him die so the suffering could be over.  But, he was blessed with an incredible rescue by God as he relinquished his tight hold on what was a fundamental fantasy for him: “the notion that my achievements actually meant anything.”

While I might have always had my eye on heaven and helping my family members get there, I have (at times) had my priorities messed up.  My worth is not measured by how much the boys know through our homeschooling efforts or their great behaviors.  My worth is also not measured by any task I might undertake (including blogging!)  Instead, I have worth in God’s eyes as one of His children and that is what matters.  Even though my head and heart knew this to be true, I have succumbed to society’s influence at times and only escape it through complete surrender to God’s will.

Overall, this non-fiction selection provides inspiration for those who are in need of God’s abundant Grace, even if they do not know it yet.  Or, like me, you might find it reaffirming what you already know and maybe have begun to act upon.

You can read an excerpt from the book to get a taste for the story.  Or, checkout the book trailer as well:

The Fourth Fisherman is available in hardback ($19.99 retail) or digital formats.

Want to win your own copy of this inspirational title?  Visit The Fourth Fisherman giveaway post to enter by April 5th.

Disclaimer ~ I was sent an advance reader copy of this title in the hopes of my doing a review.  No monetary compensation occurred and all opinions expressed are my own.