Endurance The Power Within ~ Chapter 2

Chapter 2~ Max


Being a part of the Martinez family might have appeared easy, but it was not. Max had been born into a life of wealth and privilege. His father and uncle treated him as if he was royalty, making it difficult to be modest at times.


The Martinez family had not started out this way. Max's great-grandfather had migrated from Caracas, Venezuela to Port of Spain, Trinidad. He married and settled down in the small town of San Juan. 


Max's great-grandfather, Maximilian Martinez, Sr. was not an average man. He was an eccentric man, living every day for God. Maximilian, Sr. believed that there was an invisible war happening right here on earth and that many unexplained events could be explained through spiritual reasoning. But while Maximilian was a spiritually rich man, he was financially poor. His wife Allison Page Martinez had given him one son whom they named Maximilian Martinez, Jr.


Maximilian, Sr. developed into a great spiritual warrior. Day in and day out he worked tirelessly, fighting dark entities and demons on behalf of the innocent. He never charged money or expected anything in return. His only request was that those with whom he worked provide their own supplies. Maximilian, Sr. was an extraordinary man, but he eventually died of a stroke from overworking; he had taken on too many clients. 


His father's actions had a profound effect on his son. Maximilian, Jr. had taken his father’s death particularly hard. His mother struggled to provide for them both. She raised livestock, grew fruits and vegetables, not only to feed her son but also, to help earn a living so that she could send him to school. Had it not been for the livestock they sold and ate, life would have been much harder.


Maximilian, Jr. watched his mother suffer. Allison was a beautiful woman and could have remarried; however, she refused. She had never gotten over losing the love of her life. Maximilian, Jr., remembering his mother’s struggles and his father’s sacrifices, vowed not to let his family suffer in poverty. He believed that if his parents had had the right tools, meaning money, his father would have lived longer. He would have been healthier and stronger to fight for his clients. This understanding had caused Maximilian, Jr. to become focused on being physically fit and healthy with the use of natural herbs and fresh, healthy foods. He did follow in his father's footsteps by becoming a spiritual; yet, he was not like his father. Although God had blessed the Martinez family, not all lived up to the Martinez name.


Maximilian, Jr., however, did succeed in building a fortune for his family. He became a brilliant inventor who created numerous, life-changing devices that were used all over the world. After receiving his first, significant check, he gathered up his wife, Daisy Smith-Martinez, and their two small sons, Maxwell and Tamarius. The family moved to the United States, settling into a small town in Central Florida named Lexington. Eventually, he and his wife passed away leaving their grown children multibillionaires. Maximilian, Jr. also left them a different legacy of continuing wealth. He had learned a great deal about putting God first in his life and understood if God had not blessed him, he would not have succeeded.


Before they passed away, Maximilian, Jr. and Daisy had attended the wedding of Maxwell, their eldest son, to Jenna Castle. Maximilian, Jr. did not approve of his son marrying the foster child they had taken into their home; however, he could not convince his son otherwise. Two years after Maxwell and Jenna wed, they had a son named Max. Maximilian, Jr. dearly loved his grandson and before he died, had made specific arrangements ensuring his grandson’s financial future.


Maxwell had foolishly confided in his wife who then showed her true colors. Jenna devised a plan to defraud her husband and son out of their inheritance. Maxwell Martinez had been a phenomenal man, but after dealing with Jenna, he became cynical and cold towards everyone, including his only son.


Max felt rejected by his father, so when his mother won custody of him in the divorce, he was all too happy to go and live with her. Thank God for Uncle Tamarius who loved Max like a son and taught him everything he knew.


Tamarius, a remarkably handsome, six-foot, four, athletically built man, was unmarried and childless. He threw himself into spiritual warfare, determined to do everything in his power not to let Satan have any further victory over his family. Tamarius observed how Jenna had destroyed his brother, and although he didn't resent women, he became acutely cautious of getting into a deeply committed relationship. Tamarius wanted to one day settle down, but worried he would never meet someone who could understand his family secrets and his unwavering desire to be a warrior for God.

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