Fear is a state of mind; courage is a state of heart.

Fear is a state of mind; courage is a state of heart.

“Who said that?” I asked him.  I didn’t believe him when he turned and said, “me.” That wolfish grin, y’all. We copyright that here and now, okay?

Veterans don’t have it easy. Being married to a war-time veteran is not always a walk in the park either. We can’t watch an action movie without a description of why some scene is implausible, noting each weapon’s actual range and accuracy, actual protocol, or real-time information sharing; lingering injuries require career changes and give excuse to only hear 20% of what I say on the left side; PTSD is real, and it isn’t glamorous or pretty.

But the Army and war took an intelligent and passionate, but drifting twenty-something-year-old boy and made him a man. God used training and combat to teach him many things, most notably to change his perspective.

I get lost in the trees sometimes, but he sees the forest. And more than that, he has seen a depth of poverty and pervasive oppression the rest of us only see in pictures or media sound bites. He has faced death, and he lives with the heavy burden of fallen comrades and mission directives. He has no patience for those of us who whine about luxuries most of the world lives without. He doesn’t get too up for the good or too down for the bad. He values people over things (or he’d have that boat I promised him).

Training minimized fear, demanded strength, built character, and instilled discipline. Combat revealed boldness, courage, and the value of life. It manifested God’s ever-present omnipotence and planted seeds for compassion and mercy that bear fruit still today.

It can mean walking in one world where no one really understands or appreciates the reality of another, though. I wonder if David and Joshua – mighty warriors and soldiers – ever found the singular mission of survival easier to navigate than the politics and proclivities of a privileged and indulgent culture.

In light of the many physical, mental, and spiritual challenges our veterans face, I’m grateful today for the men and women who have answered this calling, knowing full well what it could cost them.

Happy Veteran’s Day.