A small book for heavy seasons

How to Laugh While Burning

A story about loss, perseverance, exhaustion, hopelessness — and the gentle way hope returns and joy begins to bloom in the ashes.

Written for the ones who wake up tired, still believe a little, and are quietly wondering if they can survive one more sunrise.

~21 pages · Free to read · Written in fire, shaped in Hope

Who this book is for

It’s for the ones still in the middle of their story, where nothing feels finished yet.

You’re running on fumes
You wake up tired, go to bed tired, and you’re not dramatically falling apart — you’re just slowly wearing down.

Life feels heavier than your bank balance
Work, money, uncertainty, unanswered applications — you’re doing what you can, but it still feels like it’s not enough.

You’re wrestling with God in the quiet
You believe. You’ve seen Him before. But this time the silence has gone on much longer than you expected.

You’re holding fragile things
A dream, a relationship, your mental health — things you love feel like they’re slipping.

You’re still trying to stay kind
Even with your own life on fire, you’re the one people lean on.

You haven’t fully given up
Deep down, something in you still believes there’s more.

The story behind this book

In March 2024, I quit a toxic job after one meeting flipped a switch inside me. My wife quit her job soon after. We walked straight into a season of faith, unemployment, and “God will make a way” expectation.

What followed wasn’t neat or predictable. It was a year of disappointments, delays, unexpected losses, long silences, and the tiring work of holding on when nothing made sense.

We were stretched in every direction — emotionally, spiritually, mentally — yet somehow carried by grace we didn’t always recognize at the time.

Somewhere in that fire, something in me changed. I became more honest, more funny, more hopeful, more myself. This book is that story — shaped by fire, softened by grace.

Inside these 21 pages

  • Honest chapters about quitting, waiting, disappointment, tiny wins, and rebuilding.
  • Moments of loss, confusion, and unexpected resilience woven with truth.
  • A marriage that stood through thick and thin, in riches and in poverty.
  • A picture of God’s quiet faithfulness.
  • A story that sits with you in your own fire.

About the author

Stephen Abraham

Son. Husband. “Tzu Papa.” Creator. Writer. Believer.

More of my work lives at stephenabraham.in

For over five years, I worked as a software engineer, project manager, and operations lead — juggling code, deadlines, clients, and the daily grind.

So I stepped away. I quit what felt safe and walked into a wilderness of uncertainty — debt, failure, grief, silence, and stubborn hope.

In that fire, I discovered two things: the power of words to heal and the value of building not just code, but character — a life shaped by grit, faith, love, and quiet resilience.

I co-founded Inner Ray, a mental health brand born out of pain, hope, and the conviction that light can be found even in ashes.

I live in Bangalore with my wife and our dog, Blue — the little miracle who survived the fire alongside us and reminded us that hope still breathes.

This book, How to Laugh While Burning, is my story — not of perfection or easy miracles, but of becoming.

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