Usher Me Home

About the Book

Jared Bagwell, twenty-two, is locked in a world where sound and now sight are becoming more limited and he is haunted by the future. These circumstances alone have rocked his world, to a point where he believes that God has abandoned him. He learned six months ago that his best friend who is also his father, Greg, has a terminal illness and is not expected to live much longer. This just adds to his doubts and fears about the future and adds to his belief that God doesn’t love him. As a last request, Greg Bagwell, his dying father, coordinates his own living memorial service to be held at one of his favorite places that ties in to his love of movies: a nearby, local movie theatre in the far western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The stories that unfold from family and friends who speak at the service begin to tug at Jared’s heartstrings. Greg thought of every detail for the service, making sure that each presenter focused on God through presentations of oil paintings that he created specifically for those asked to speak, each having deep spiritual meaning to each presenter. The canvases provide telling memories that ensure each person stays focused on God’s Word, Love, Redemption, Grace, Mercy, and Hope. Although Jared is losing his sight, his eyes begin to open to the amazing love of God, breaking down walls that had built up over time. Usher Me Home is an inspirational story that unfolds with a number of family secrets, broken relationships, and devastating health concerns within the Bagwell family, combined with undeserved and unbelievable forgiveness and restoration. It is a story of a young man that rediscovers hope in the midst of circumstances that are by all the world’s standards . . . virtually impossible to regain.

About the Author

First time author, Steve Hamby, has drawn from life’s experiences for his first work of fiction. Although he works full time in a sales leadership role, he volunteers time on the side to raise funds for the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) to help fund and find a cure for Usher Syndrome, which affects both of his adult children, Stephanie and Jared, as well as other retinal degenerative diseases. He and his bride reside in the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. A portion of the proceeds from book sales will go to FFB. For more information about the Foundation Fighting Blindness, go to http://www.fightblindness.org.