Wounded Heroes

The book Wounded Heroes was written  by Elizabeth R. Skoglund.  It is a wonderful book.

In the book, Skoglund shared on how God’s servants triumphed over emotional pain.  The secret laid in discovering how God enabled His children to deal with situations that faced us in this life.

A great man of faith that Skoglund included is Charles Haddon Spurgeon.  Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-92) was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century.  In 1854, he became the pastor of London's famed New Park Street Church.  He preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000.  Spurgeon was also known for his printed works.  Nearly all of Spurgeon's printed works are still in print.

Though Spurgeon was so prominent in the ministry, he was plagued with deep depression.  It surfaced when the church was on fire one time.  Skoglund recounted:  ““The service began, ran a few minutes, when suddenly a cry, “Fire!  The galleries are giving away, the place is falling!”  A terrible panic followed; seven were killed, many seriously injured.  Spurgeon’s grief over this almost unseated his reason.  He was immediately hidden from the public; spent hours ‘in tears by day, and dreams of terror by night.’  A depression deepened upon him form which he never fully recovered.”

Another giant of faith that Skoglund cited is Amy Carmichael.  Amy Carmichael (1867–1951), a Protestant Christian missionary in India founded the Dohnavur Fellowship.  She gave a home to over one thousand children.

She gave them a future in their bleak circumstances.  God used Carmichael greatly; we would never have imagined that she had struggled with health problems and loneliness in her time.  She persevered and kept her faith strong in the Lord.

There were other great men and women that Skoglund shared in her book namely Hudson Taylor, C.S. Lewis, Isobel Kuhn and others.  They were people who possessed great faith and yet there were areas in their lives that reveal their humanness and vulnerability.

The book reminds us that God is awesome.  He is at work in every person’s life.  We may have our weaknesses, inadequacies, shortcomings, failures, discouragements, depression and setbacks.  Some of us are plagued with constant discouragement and depression.  Fear, doubt, anxiety and insecurity hound us furiously.  Others lack faith in our walk with God.  Seemingly, we struggle to reach our full potential in Him.  

The beautiful thing is that the Lord works through our vulnerability, weaknesses or even physical handicaps.  

No challenge is too great for God.  He breaks down every barrier and helps us to overcome and triumph in dire situations and conditions.  

All He wants is our brokenness, humility and willingness to love and serve Him with no reservation.  The baby steps we take today will lead us to great mountains and deep valleys all for the glory of the risen King.