Veterans Day & Men’s Mental Health Month

Today is Veterans Day, but it’s also Men’s Mental Health Month.

32.7% of all men who die by suicide have served or are currently serving in the military, and 40% of all military personnel are at risk for suicide.

This isn’t meant to scare anyone; it’s meant to educate and bring awareness. Being in the military can be lonely, especially for those who go in already carrying trauma or PTSD from childhood. This topic is so important to talk about, and with permission from my mom, I want to share something very personal from my own family that truly reflects this reality.

My dad joined the military just a few months after losing his sister to suicide. He had already faced a rough childhood, and this loss hit him hard. In 1996, he joined the Marine Corps. Shortly after, he left for his first deployment. He served on a ship and worked his way up to a very high rank.

But my dad struggled deeply with alcohol (More than anyone realized). One night, he drank so much while at port that he was escorted back to the ship after blacking out. Because of his actions, he went from being Marine of the quarter for his ship to being demoted and put on laundry duty. He went from leading his group to being at the bottom.

Every day in that laundry room, he noticed a book sitting on the counter. One day, he finally picked it up. It was called The Power of Living by Jamie Buckingham. My dad was at such a low point. He had been demoted and had lost half his pay, but when he started reading that book, something in him changed. It gave him hope.

When he finished reading, it was nighttime. He went out to the flight deck of the ship, got down on his knees, and called out to the Lord, not really knowing what to say, but just giving it all to Him. He told my mom that it was at that point that he knew there had to be the God that this book talked about after looking up and just seeing the beauty around him.

That moment changed my dad’s life. That book led him to become a Christian. He went from death to life right there on a ship in the middle of the ocean. And if that doesn’t show you how powerful our God is, I don’t know what will.

His journey wasn’t easy after that. He continued to struggle with his mental health for years. But it was only by the grace of God that he lived as long as he did. He had a beautiful wife, four kids, and a good life that he and my mom built together with God as the foundation. But the devil still whispered lies, convincing him he wasn’t enough, that he wasn’t a good husband or father. My dad entrenched himself in God‘s word as he told my mom he struggled so often with the enemy telling him lies. It was that one moment when my mom was out of town and my dad was at a low point and the enemy attacked.

That’s what the devil does, he comes to kill, steal, and destroy, especially families.

My dad’s battle ended on June 19, 2023. But I will always believe that the man who died that night was not my dad. That was the enemy’s lies at a moment when my dad was struggling. The man I know, the man God created, is still alive through me. The devil thought he took my dad out that night, but he didn’t. He only made the fire inside me burn stronger.

I thought my calling was big before, but as Erica Kirk recently said, the enemy has no idea what he created that day in me.

So as you go through your day, remember the people who are suffering silently. The ones who go home feeling empty, who never feel like they’re enough, especially our veterans and those currently serving in the military.

Life can feel so overwhelming and messy sometimes. But God is so much bigger than all of it. God is bigger than suicide. That word doesn’t scare Him. He’s bigger than mental health struggles, even when it feels like that’s your whole life. He’s still greater.

No matter what battles you face, visible or invisible, God can and will use your life for something greater. That’s the message I want to leave you with.

My dad’s last words to me were, “You will all live through me.” And I believe that’s exactly what I’m doing, letting God and my dad’s legacy live through me by spreading love and hope.

Remember, you are not alone. You were created with a purpose. You’re never too far gone for God. Run to Him with everything you have.

He is a way maker. When there is no way.