"Need" is a dirty word to Karen.

The Need Word 

What does the word “need” mean to Karen Wright? It is a dirty word, showing one’s inability to stay in control of situations, and even his/her life, as the person must rely on the help of others to move forward. 

Yet Karen gets a very hard and personal lesson on the significance of “need,” especially as a Christian woman, when she is placed under criminal investigation for child endangerment. 

Suffering from the after-effects of yet another mysterious medical episode, Karen thought she could just get a little nap after taking her nerve medication, while watching her young nephew and his friend at her home. 

The next thing Karen knows, she is being awakened by neighbors from a near-unconscious state and learns her nephew was almost killed by a car. 

Karen’s charging of a serious crime begins author Ron Short’s new Christian fiction book, The Need Word, as she is placed under arrest and transported to the county jail in town. 

Through every step of her plea deal proceedings and incarceration while awaiting her bond, Karen tries to figure out how her life got turned around so quickly. 

Even as a young girl, she took command of her family’s life after her mother’s early death, raising her siblings and taking care of her ailing father. She married young and began a family soon after; all part of a life she handled on her own terms, while caring for the needs of her family.

Now Karen sees she is now the one in “need,” the one who has to first seek God for forgiveness of years of pride and control. Her request for Jesus to bring peace to this difficult situation also establishes a spiritual transformation within her to heal raw grief, mend broken relationships, and understand the power of needing others.