(Revised October 2015)
In December 2012, we lost a fellow soldier and
comrade-in-arms. For those of us who
knew and loved him, his loss shook and frightened us to the depths of our
souls. The blunt and unmerciful reality
of his death reminded me of how fragile and vulnerable we can become.
The death of our friend also reminded me that all of us are engaged
in a war whose casualty number rivals the casualty number from all the world’s
wars combined. Our enemy in this war is more
ruthless, evil and power hungry than any past or present aggressor and his sole
purpose and passion is our total destruction.
And yet, despite our losses, the world refuses to even accept this
enemy’s existence. The world’s ignorance
and denial of his existence allows him to “prowl around like a roaring lion,
looking for someone to devour.”
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against
the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly realms.” Working through the
thoughts and minds of mankind, the enemy has killed millions not only with
weapons of war and through evil and selfish deeds, but also through our own
personal weaknesses. As a master
manipulator and liar, he excels in convincing a person, even a child of God,
that he or she has no value or any hope for a bright future. Our friend fell prey to the enemy’s schemes
and died of hopelessness. His earthly
life, which was of great value to God, to himself and to his family and
friends, was tragically cut short.
It is when we are at our lowest, when life has become overwhelming
or seems to have lost meaning, that the enemy will whisper his lies into our
ears. Please remember that even though
you may find yourself isolated or emotionally detached, you are not alone. There are many you can call on for help. As comrades in arms we not only have the honor
of helping others back to their feet but we should also be willing to reach out
and grab the hand of a fellow soldier in order to drag ourselves out of the abyss
of depression. Chronic hopelessness can
be as lethal as any terminal disease and should be addressed at the first sign
of it. By sharing my highs and lows with
a physical disability, it is my desire that through my transparency you will
feel less lonely in your struggles. Together we can heal and stand strong against
the enemy.
