Sixteen Years in Captivity

By: James Optic

Narrated by: Mark McDevitt

I never understood just how important a human soul could be to God. The soul is the only thing we actually own and the only place I belonged.

I was raised by a single mother, and she loved God with all her heart.

So many times, we would fall asleep to the sound of gunfire. Out of this chaos, God chose me. I fought against Him and His will for so long. Every time I knocked down by life and Satan, God and all His love would stand me up again, stronger than before. I sought acceptance through friendship, and many of those friendship proved dangerous and destructive to my soul. I went on to fight in the Iraq war and for a country that never wanted to accept me. I saw the horrors of war and then returned to the never-ending horrors of gang violence, drugs, and poverty. I knew something had to change, and it had to start with me, giving God my soul and my love.

Not every preacher speaks the will of God. Each of us has the power of the Spirit to reach out and help our fellow man. We must look outside of ourselves and our community and help all our brothers and sisters in need.

My hope is that this book serves as a testament to the mercy and love of God and the power of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. All of us as believers have access to the gifts God has promised to us. Let us use them to bring glory to the name and power of God. Amen.

©2021 James Optic (P)2022 James Optic