Jesse grows up in Arizona fearing a God he sees as stern and punishing. His father’s drunken abuse leads to estrangement; but Mother’s love of God softens him. Successful at sports, Jesse dreams of being a coach. He becomes a gunner in World War II, lives through a mid-air collision and fears death. He begins reading the Psalms. Part I ends as Jesse’s mother is saved and praying for him as he prepares for a bombing run over Japan.