James Olds
I was born and raised as a military brat, mostly in southeastern Virginia. Growing up, I had attended church and both of my parents who were very religious. After all, my father’s father was a pastor out on the West Coast. He too was a retired military officer. So, my path was almost ordained for me as to which way I was to go. But I always did things a little different than everybody else. This took me down a little bit rougher road to get to where I was going. Eventually, however, I too became a military officer. During my tour of duty, I spent most of it with the 101st Airborne Division. So, I was rather molded along that style of leadership. I even spent time in the U. S. Army Ranger School, until a major knee injury knocked me out on graduating. I always regretted never going back to finish.Be that as it may, my marital life certainly was in shambles from the beginning. It did not take me until getting married the third time that I truly found, what I felt, was my true soulmate. It did not dawn on me that she felt somewhat different. In 2007 I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Within six short years I went from walking with a cane to being in a power chair, permanently. This is when I truly began to understand how much my soulmate did not feel the same way as I did. For an entire year, she worked on me mentally, to the extent that the mental stress brought me to a point where I wanted to commit suicide. This is when the Holy Spirit came into my life and directed me to a new path. My soulmate’s disdain for me finally became crushingly clear when early one morning, near the end of September 2015 when she attempted to murder me.Since then, I have followed the Holy Spirit and am constantly seeking a way in which I could be closer. Further, as all good children of God, it is also our mission to spread the word as best as possible. That can be accomplished many ways. As a quadriplegic, this is one way that I’m reaching out.
