From the several mails, emails, and phone calls I have received, it seems that the following lines in my resignation letter have caught the attention of many people: "I am deeply wounded for having let down so many who have looked up to me for spiritual leadership. . . . Only our God can heal and renew the strength of the wounded eagle. He alone, in His great love, can bring anything good out of our personal failures” (emphasis mine).
 
Apparently, the idea of being wounded has touched a responsive chord in the heart of people who may be acquainted with the pain of wounds—whether self-inflicted or inflicted by others. One such individual is a soldier based in Africa.
 
When this soldier heard about my resignation (www.campushope.com/resignation), he thought he should send me some words of encouragement.  His one-paragraph email to me has since become an “eureka” moment in my present experience.
 
(The word “eureka” comes from Ancient Greek, and means “I have found (it).” It is used as an interjection to celebrate a discovery. The Greek scientist, Archimedes (c. 287 BC – c. 212 BC), made this word famous by yelling it when he leapt out of his bathtub upon figuring out how to calculate the volume of an irregularly shaped object: measure how much water it displaces. The phrase “eureka moment” is now used to describe a decisive moment of insight when a person suddenly sees the answer to an intractable problem—an answer which, in retrospect, seems blindingly obvious. The eureka moment is also called the “aha” moment.)
 
The one-paragraph email from the African soldier is for me an "eureka moment." It reveals that being wounded is not the end of one’s mission, but the beginning of any form of combat. May you also be richly blessed as you ponder over the soldier’s profound insight. It speaks to whatever battles that may be raging in your own life today. The great controversy is real. But Jesus has already prevailed. You may be wounded in the battle, but don’t give up the fight. Remain ever vigilant and faithful!
 
Warmest regards,
skp
 ***************
 
 
 
June 24, 2011 2:33:59 PM EDT
 
Dear Pastor
 I am a soldier; trained as one and know what it is to be wounded in battle. The most important thing to remember is [that] the enemy is not trained to pity but to kill you. If the enemy finds you he will still shoot at you and KILL you—[whether you’re] wounded or not. So, I have figured the only way to go about things correctly IN THE HEAD is to be clear that as long as you are not dead you have to fight because there is no CHANGE in the enemy. How? Isolate, Identify or define the enemy clearly and shoot at him with everything you've got and stay camouflaged whilst you recover. If you quit the fight: YOU DIE. Forget yourself and focus on the fight. Forget the profile; keep the fight. Fight, Fight, Fight. Immediately, no time to pity one'self. The weapons are not carnal but mighty, use them. The truth still stands true, lean on it. You'll be fine. The Lord is faithful to His soldiers and loves you still. The way forward is to be angry at the enemy and embrace the Savior and bury your head in His loving breast. You will yet punch back mightily.
 
 
[Take a moment to reflect on the above paragraph and its application to the spiritual battle we’re all engaged in—including your own personal battles. . . . Then read the paragraphs that follow. These were sent by the same soldier, after I had sought his permission to share the above thoughts. His prompt reply is below.—skp]
 
 
June 27, 2011 8:10:43 AM EDT
 
“You have my permission, Elder.  I cannot tell what your own thoughts have done for me. You rekindled my faith in this church at a time when I was wondering what would become of it.
 
THE TRUTH is the front line of this fight. TO DELIVER IT to the world and our own people is our OPERATION. When that work is done, we are done. There are special forces, operations, and assignments, secret weapons and movements, tricks that only God knows, but which work. In whatever way it's done, the enemy must be fought and truth brought to the eyes and ears of people.
 
We incur much loss by error and one of the errors we hold is that we can have some placid and sanitary operation and will take no hits in this war. It IS a war and how we take hits is as essential to our victory as how we inflict them. God is honored when we rise from a hit with a knowledge of our need, a stronger awareness of the fight, a living realization that this war is real, that the enemy must be fought because HE IS RESOLVED TO DESTROY US, a more appreciative and tenacious faith grip on God, that we are even more determined to fight the enemy now than before and we solicit God for STRENGTH to give more than we got.
 
There is a holy fury that God respects: Anger at sin and Satan that crystallizes into a resolve to rise and fight even more furiously against the destroyer of souls and ALL his works. GOD RESPECTS THAT. It was a wounded Samson who brought down the whole temple and kingdom to rubble with him. It was a wounded Savior who took down the gates of hell with Him. Being wounded is not the end; it is the beginning of a new frontier in the mind.
 
 
[May the Lord help us today to clearly understand the nature of the spiritual battle and how we need to fight, even when we're wounded. I leave with you the following promise from The Desire of Ages—skp]
 
“The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as the Savior. He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are our wants, and where lies the strength of our temptations; for He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. He is watching over you, trembling child of God. Are you tempted? He will deliver. Are you weak? He will strengthen. Are you ignorant? He will enlighten. Are you wounded? He will heal. The Lord `telleth the number of the stars;' and yet `He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.' Ps. 147:4, 3. `Come unto Me,' is His invitation. Whatever your anxieties and trials, spread out your case before the Lord. Your spirit will be braced for endurance. The way will be opened for you to disentangle yourself from embarrassment and difficulty. The weaker and more helpless you know yourself to be, the stronger will you become in His strength. The heavier your burdens, the more blessed the rest in casting them upon the Burden Bearer” (E. G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 329).