This book is very well-written with just enough detail to put things into context, but not so much that would confuse the average reader. We are able to get a glimpse into a situation that many of us will never face. I have gained a deeper appreciation for these brave men and what they endured for their country. Some of the lessons the prisoners learned can be applied to our lives today. For example - appreciating our freedom and not taking things, like access to God's Word, for granted. Also the practice of being intentionally thankful. If they can find things to be thankful for as POWs, what excuse do we have not to?
While Jerry was asking the Lord, "Why me?" at one point during his imprisonment, he was given the opportunity to minister to a fellow inmate. This experience "led Jerry to understand that wrapped up in any explanation as to why believers might experience horrific circumstances in their lives was opportunity - opportunity to fulfill a God-glorifying task...The tragedy either brought others across a believer's path who needed to receive God's light from the believer or who needed to see God's light through the believer...Jerry realized he had been a conduit for God's glory to an unknown and unseen prisoner, and an eternal truth surfaced in his mind: the deeper the darkness, the more brilliant the light."
In an age when we tend to idolize celebrities and sports figures, we need books like this that tell stories of true heroes. By hearing of their courage and perspective during captivity, we can be challenged to look for the light in our own dark circumstances. I highly recommend this memoir.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for an honest review.
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