Vincia Damtawe

Forced Paths - Ordered Steps Vincia Damtawe

This book is a memoir of specific life events, which Jemal relives with emotion and truth. He truly believes and lives by these words, "Our steps are ordered by the Lord." these words bring a wave of peace to many men. But for many years, he did not know a life of peace. Taken by force as a young boy and thrown into a life of violence and fighting in the Ethiopian civil war took a devastating toll. Finally escaping by hiding on a cargo ship, he left Ethiopia only to have the war follow him in the form of horrific memories. Alcohol, drugs, gangs, anger, and money would not let him forget what he saw and endured as a young man. He fought sleepless nights with alcohol and the death of friends who used hard drugs. Although surrounded by people at times, he carried a heavy load of guilt, shame, and loneliness. Jemal was dealt a hard hand for much of his life and then found himself homeless, alone and hopeless. Finding himself at a fork in the road, he journeyed down the difficult path of recovery, one day at a time until he had a spiritual awakening. John 8:13, "The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true." When God frees you, you are free indeed. He found that this truly is correct. Once lost, his life is now a complete opposite of the one he was forced to live. He does not look back with shame now at the road he was forced to take but uses those memories to stay humble. Jemal can relate well to others who struggled with what he did. He feels their pain, trauma, and fear, their inner feelings of despair that only God can heal. He uses his past to help others with addiction break free and live in peace. In this memoir, he is honest about all of his previous life and about how hard it was to move forward from suffering to the freedom. He encourages others to seek help, and allow Jesus to guide them out of the endless pit of addiction and sorrow.