Four-year-old Susie jumps out of her hiding spot. “Peek-a-Boo!”

Expecting a fun reaction, the tiny girl doesn’t understand why her daddy’s face shows fear instead of delight. Instead of playfully scooping her into his arms, he steps back, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Susie’s eyes fill with tears. She can’t hear her daddy’s heart pounding as he bolts from the room, searching for a place that feels safe. But there isn’t one. Not since he defended America on the battlefield so she and her mother could live in a free nation. His service may have ended, but some days, it feels as though the war followed him home.

“Why won’t daddy play with me?” Susie sobs into her mom’s shoulder.

“Your daddy is still getting used to being home again after fighting in the war,” she says, gathering her close. “He heard a lot of loud noises and saw some pretty scary stuff. Instead of surprising Daddy like that, why don’t you show him the games on your closet shelf?”

Steve hears them talking and tries to shake off the familiar hopelessness, fearing he’ll never be the man he once was. He picks up his Bible and reads the verse he underlined that morning:

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. (Psalm 28:7 ESV)

He closes his Bible and prays. He knows it’ll take time, but eventually, with God’s help, support from his family and professional counseling, he will learn how to manage his PTSD symptoms.

____

I think about our service men and women like Steve in our fictional story, especially when I see TV ads that ask for support for our wounded veterans.

I wonder how they’re coping after returning from war.

• How do they deal with post-traumatic stress disorder?
• What is it like having to re-learn to dress themselves with a severe brain injury?
• Or to raise a child after losing their sight? Or to hug their spouse with two prosthetic arms?

These are all reasons to pray for our wounded veterans and their families.

Most of us will never know such hardship. I doubt we’ll ever be able to appreciate our service men and women (and their families’) sacrifice enough – much less know how to express our gratitude.

But I hope we – as a nation and individually – will never stop seeking ways to do so.

What about you?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this post. (Your comment might also benefit others.)

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