Doug Bolling lost his wife of twenty years just as their stormy marriage was beginning to thrive, and he bitterly blames God. He tries to reconnect with his son, but it seems Mark is only interested if the relationship comes wrapped in religion. Mark claims he's just following God when he moves his family, including Doug's grandsons, further away, first to pastor, then to attend seminary. With frustrated resignation, Doug turns his attention to building a new life and a new home for himself and interior designer, Cassandra Grayson. The conflict erupts as Mark is preparing to leave for the mission field in Kenya. He delivers an ultimatum, cutting off all contact between his kids and their grandfather. God may have ripped away his wife and his son, but Doug draws the line at his grandchildren. Mark's attempt to force him to choose between the woman he loves and the grandkids he adores, drives Doug to one fateful desperate act, even if it means destroying his relationship with his son.

When Doug Bolling sues for custody of his grandchildren, he sincerely believes he's rescuing them from a life of religious fanaticism, but it is also the latest battle in his long war with God. Mark Bolling finally found the acclaim and respect he so desperately craved as a missionary in Kenya, but it meant abandoning a promise he had made to his dying mother years earlier. Now, this father and son, locked in the legal battle of a lifetime, are forced to face their own fears and failures. As each man is stripped of what he holds most dear, Doug and Mark discover victory will require nothing less than complete surrender.