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Victory out of Despair
Dr. Orville Boyd Jenkins
A review of the book by James Fields
Profiting from the Path of Most Resistance (Friendswood, Texas:  Wisdom House Publishers,2005.  125p.)

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I met the author when he and his wife visited our church in Cyprus when we lived there a few years ago.  I have been in email contact with him since then.  James was born with a scarred macula, limiting his central vision, and gradually leading to loss of most vision in his twenties.

I was privileged to receive this book as a gift from James in January 2006.  Here he tells the story of the spiritual struggle he went through to understand this injustice.  This is his personal struggle with the Problem of Evil, a perpetual question for philosophers and theologians.  His focus is that through all this, he gradually learned that God has higher goals and leads us to higher values than we might immediately see from the challenges and frustrations we face.

Deeper Reality
He shows a deeper stream of reality that gives meaning and leads to a higher fulfillment than if he had experienced miraculous healing, as he prayed for.  James has been engaged for years in a ministry of encouragement for people, arising from his own experiences with dealing with despair and disillusionment.

James exudes joy and confidence through this whole account.  He narrates in detail the pain and bitterness he went through, the confusion that made him question his own value and God's reality.  Just as clearly he also tells the story of his reorientation to reality and the new transcending victory he has experienced through this.  He discovered a whole new level of living through this experience.

Focus on Others
This book impresses the reader with the same outreaching concern I noted in my first encounter with James.  He does not focus on himself, but draws upon the insights and growth he gained through his own experience to treat others.

James and his wife Doris can truly be said to be healers, spiritual healers.  They reach out to other hurting, confused and disappointed people.  They call their ministry Consolation and Encouragement.

All kinds of things happen to disillusion us or to cause us to doubt the goodness of God and the purposefulness of life.  James does not belittle us or condemn us for this, but recognizes this as simply human, our reaction and attempt to make sense of a senseless event or situation.

Faith makes the difference.  James found victory and shares the perspective with others.  This was a personal testimony.  It is a true story.  It would make a great movie.  It will encourage you, maybe heal you.

James, along with his wife Delores, operates a ministry out of Corpus Christi, Texas, called Comfort and Encouragement Ministries.  As the name indicates, their purpose is to provide encouragement, in various forms, for others who are suffering in various ways, or who are dealing with difficult life challenges.

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OBJ

First reading notes written 13 January 2006
Review posted on Thoughts and Resources 22 November 2007
Revised 24 February 2009
Reviewed on Amazon 3 March 2009

Orville Boyd Jenkins, EdD, PhD
Copyright © 2007 Orville Boyd Jenkins
Permission granted for free download and transmission for personal or educational use.  Other rights reserved.

Email:  orville@jenkins.nu
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