Faith

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Through The Valley
© 2011

by

Stephen A. Peterson


Army Sergeant (E-5) Michael Byrd (not his real name) had his life torn apart in Iraq. For the nine years of his Army career, he was confident, secure, a strong non-commission officer receiving award after award for his service from his commanders. While on patrol in a Baghdad neighborhood, he observed four of his friends being blown apart by a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED). Though he escaped bodily injury, everything, it seemed caused a reaction once he left military service—the television, car horns, thunderstorms. He couldn’t ride in small vehicles; stopped going to church; tried to attack anyone who had a Middle Eastern appearance. Eventually his wife of seven years left him citing his belligerent behaviors towards her and the children, nightmares and an inability to obtain gainful employment to support the family.

Psychiatrists and psychologists reported that Michael Byrd was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, the priest who had known Michael since he was a child and as an altar boy stated that he was going through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

No matter how hard family, priests and professional tried to help Michael, nothing seemed to work. Two years after returning from Iraq, Michael was on the streets of Oklahoma City, homeless and, seemingly, without any hope of recovering.

On a cold, crisp November afternoon, Michael came to the downtown Rescue Mission. Out of breath, he came into the office of the ministry trying to get someone to call 911. Another veteran of the Iraq War was in trouble. “Somebody do something! My friend is really sick! He’s dying! I can’t let him die! Come on! Do something!”

Within minutes, an ambulance picked up his friend and Michael to transport them to the local Veteran’s Hospital. Michael’s friend, it was soon found, had pneumonia. Hospitalization and expert care resulted in a return to positive health and eventually recovery to the friend. Michael Byrd had sacrificed his fears for the love of a fellow military veteran/human being. Five months following his traumatic experience with a fellow veteran, Michael was attempting to reconcile his relationship with his wife, family and friends. Michael found a full time job from a local company who learned of his acts both in Iraq and in Oklahoma City.

Though everything appeared to have been resolved, Michael had occasional negative nightmare, lapses and flashbacks to events in Iraq. Nonetheless, he turned his life and experiences over to God with the help of professional counseling and with the patience from those who wish him well.

If you, like Michael Byrd, are trapped by events in your life, do not ever think that you are alone. Never in the history of humankind has God ever abandoned or forsaken anyone who calls out to Him. The Valleys we experience, if we turn to God, will make us stronger and better equipped to deal with future events as well as assist fellow humanity when their time comes. Our first step to healing is to look beyond ourselves and reach out to another in unconditional love.

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