No man left behind
This is a motto, something that is held dear to military servicemembers - that we leave no one behind on the battlefield.
What about after the physical battle is over? What about when the soldier is alone at home with their painful memories and dreadful thoughts of past battles? I use the term here as rendered ‘soldier’ for all servicemembers in any military at-arms profession. What happens when someone is disguising the inner-most fear, anxieties, pain, horror, turmoil - by saying they are alright, or by saying nothing?
People are people, and with that said we all hide or disguise things from others - even those we most dearly love. We often say we are doing fine - when we are not, we will greet people with lies when answering the simple question - “How are you?” to which we answer “Good” or “Fine, how are you?” only to have another lie spoken back to us in their answer “I am good, thanks for asking.”
We have downcast, downtrodden and broken people out there my friends, and I am one of them! In short, we have what Christian rock band calls a MAN DOWN, we live in our haunted memories whether we were in the military, are still in, or never have been in - those with this dreaded terminology of PTSD live in painful past trauma as if it were happening in the present moment for the first time - over and over again.
So? How do we break this cycle? How do we step out into freedom? EMDR? Talk Therapy sessions? Mediation? Perhaps, but what about your faith in God through Jesus? How has your struggle in the emotional, spiritual, psychological pain caused you to press into the presence of the Lord? Have you pressed in harder to His faithfulness, or have you side-stepped His provision and run the other way - seeking to avoid and evade Him?
I cannot answer this for you, but perhaps, just perhaps you need to stop running? You know the body has a tendency to FIGHT, FLIGHT, OR FREEZE, and yet I want to throw another one into the mix for consideration - what about the tendency to PURSUE? I am talking about the unnatural tendency to pursue when things are tough, really tough - I am talking about the Spiritual matter of warfare (Ephesians 6:10-17) - pursuing hard after God, pursuing His healing and mercy, pursuing His momentum on your behalf, pursuing His grace and love.
Have you stopped long enough to consider turning to Him in this pain? Have you stopped (not talking about the freeze tendency of our brains in moments of distress) to purposefully pause in the presence of God and then pursue the avenue He wants to provide in your life? It might make all the difference.
As we continue the walk forward, consider -
Am I a man down at the moment? If so, how do I get up (I get by with a little help from my friends)
Do I tend to fight on my own, and with little success in moving forward?
Do I tend to flee (flight) when I am around my family in my distress, and I flee and withdraw into a dismal set of circumstances?
Do I tend to freeze, not knowing how to move forward?
Can I consider the presence of the Lord and pursue His plan and purpose for me, not only now in this pain, but for a future filled with hope and glory?
Whatever the situation, if you are struggling, cry out to the Lord Jesus for help, hope, healing. Seek help from friends, medical professionals if necessary - but don’t walk alone. Don’t struggle and suffer alone, don’t isolate yourself - there is a hopeful day ahead in the presence and peace of the Lord even if you can’t see it. He is there. You are not a MAN DOWN, but a man (or woman) called in the grace of the Lord, He desires to lift you up out of the miry clay of PTSD and anxieties and bring you to Himself.
Be blessed as you consider these words - know you are loved more than you know or feel.
The video below may contain images that bring stress and anxious intrusive thoughts - if you are not in a place (emotionally or spiritually) to watch it right now - please don’t. Know that the intention of the video is not to bring hurt but to bring hope and healing through the message of Jesus, and to bring awareness to those who struggle so they can heal. If you need help, if you are thinking about self-harm or suicide please call:
1-800-273-8255 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
For though we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We tear down arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.…
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Battle in the Spiritual warfare and weapons of the Lord -