Redeemed in the AftermathSample

The New Mission
Your mission isn’t over. It’s been transformed.

For so long, service gave structure to life. Every day had a purpose, every mission a reason. But when the uniform came off, that sense of mission can fade. Without it, many veterans feel adrift—without orders, goals, or a clear target. But God never calls us out of one mission without preparing us for another.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” That means your purpose didn’t end with your service; it was reborn. The same skills that made you effective in the field—discipline, courage, teamwork, sacrifice—now serve a greater mission: loving others, leading with humility, and pointing people to Christ.

Your past isn’t something to escape. It’s the platform God will use to reach others who are where you once were. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting who you were. It means allowing God to redefine who you are through His grace.

Every morning you wake up is a reminder that your story isn’t finished. You’ve survived for a reason. The next chapter is about living—not just surviving—with peace, purpose, and freedom in Christ.

So stand tall. Not as a soldier of war, but as a servant of grace. Your new mission is clear: walk forward as a redeemed warrior of the Kingdom—whole, forgiven, and free.

Daily Journal:
Reflect on this past week. What has God revealed about your identity, your wounds, and your purpose? Write a prayer of surrender, commissioning yourself into this new mission—not defined by your past, but by His calling on your life.

If you or someone you know is in crisis:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

Brian Dickinson served six years as a U.S. Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer with two deployments to the Persian Gulf during Operation Southern Watch. He is the author of Blind Descent, Calm in the Chaos, and the military thriller Bloodline of Redemption. Across both nonfiction and fiction, Brian writes from lived experience—stories shaped by adversity, faith, and the kind of resilience found only in the deep end of life.

To learn more and explore additional resources, visit https://briandickinson.net