Are there veterans in your life who could use some encouragement? Tell them about our Joni and Friends Warrior Getaways, retreats specifically tailored toward helping veterans find hope in Christ.
Disabilities come in all sizes, shapes, and stripes.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada and sometimes those are military stripes. So many American servicemen and women have sustained life-altering disabilities in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Vietnam, and yes, even from the Korean War. Twenty-six percent of American war veterans are living with a disability. Whether it’s a loss of several limbs, paralysis, brain injury, PTSD, or moral injury, these veterans and their families deal with the daily grind of living with significant impairments. But here’s the really heartbreaking part: every day, 17 veterans commit suicide – that’s a 2021 statistic from the Department of Veterans Affairs. And I want you to let that fact sink in. Each day, 17 military veterans would rather end their lives than be overwhelmed by a disabling injury. Especially a moral injury. That’s when – moral injuries are when – in the heat of war, a serviceman may see or experience horrific atrocities – unforgettable things that violate their sense of morality and justice. And the trauma, it never goes away. And often it leads to suicide. Sadly, veterans comprise nearly a quarter of suicide deaths in the U.S.
My heart breaks over that statistic. I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like to live with PTSD or the nightmares that are prompted by moral injury and the awful things that servicemen and women experience in the heat of war. So, what is the Christian response to this? Well, here at Joni and Friends, it’s why we hold Warrior Getaways. Because we serve all people with disabilities. The need is so great that these Getaways are our fastest-growing program. We will hold triple the number this year. And that means we need more volunteers: people who have a heart to serve military families. People like Ed McClelland. Now, Ed is not a war veteran, but he certainly has a love for American servicemen with life-altering injuries. Every year, Ed crisscrosses the country to serve at our Warrior Getaways, and he’s been doing it since 2013 – that totals 15 Getaways! This man loves this outreach and calls our Warrior Getaway program, “The Super Bowl of veteran ministry!” Ed has a heart for this because several of his uncles were in the military. And he became interested in serving veterans after he broke his alcohol addiction and met Jesus Christ. Right then, Ed decided to focus his time on serving others. And because he understood the prevalence of alcoholism among veterans, he committed his life to bringing the Gospel to veterans through our Warrior Getaways. And so this year, God bless him, he’s already signed up to help out at more Warrior Getaways!
Oh, friend, I think from those stats a moment ago you can see the enormous needs among our disabled American veterans. They have sacrificed so much to secure our freedoms, and now that they live with a disability, they’re still making sacrifices. And so I really need you to be praying because, this weekend, we are holding a big Warrior Getaway in Maryland and another Warrior Getaway will be held later this month in South Carolina. Please pray that the peace of Jesus Christ will visit these servicemen and their families. Tomorrow is National Suicide Prevention Day, and at Joni and Friends we’re doing all we can to stop the suicide statistics among disabled veterans. So, join us in prayer at joniradio.org and find out more about our Warrior Getaways at joniradio.org. That’s your good word today from Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope.
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