Soldier for Christ: A Calling to Enlist, Train, and Deploy

By Keith Pate and Jay Thomason

Keith Pate has been saved since he was about twelve years old; when faced with the reality of his parents divorce. He didn’t really begin noticing or fully understanding the impact that God was having in his life until he was in the fight for his life.
In Soldier for Christ, Pate, a retired Army National Guard Captain, recounts his testimony and narrates how an unexpected circumstance drastically changed his life. He journeys through his time as a high school and college athlete, time in the military, and then a life-altering and unexpected stroke in 2010 at age twenty-nine. He nearly died twice. What followed was a long road of recovery and rehabilitation.
In this memoir, Pate recalls how God has used his circumstance to benefit his kingdom. Soldier for Christ narrates an inspiring testimony of Pate’s real-life struggle and survival of an unexpected challenge. He shares a true example of how all things are possible through Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973695646

Keith Pate

Keith Pate is a retired Army National Guard captain, Wounded Warrior, and stroke survivor. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2003 from Delta State University and a master’s in 2008 from Touro University International. Pate was in the Mississippi Active Guard Reserve for nine years and served two tours in Iraq, receiving the Bronze Star and other awards. He lives in Hernando, Mississippi, and has two children.

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Copyright © 2020 Keith Pate.

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case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author

and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of

the information contained in this book and in some cases, names

of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Author Credits: Wounded Warrior, Bronze

Star recipient, and Stroke Survivor

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9565-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-9564-6 (e)

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/08/2020

In loving memory of my mother,

Dorinda Watson Pate.

CONTENTS

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Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1     Some Gave All

Chapter 2     Injury

Chapter 3     The End, Maybe

Chapter 4     Today Is a Beautiful Day, Because We Woke Up

Chapter 5     Healing the Paralytic

Chapter 6     Sports

Chapter 7     Military

Chapter 8     Challenges

Chapter 9     The Comeback

Chapter 10   Good Example

Chapter 11   Could Be Worse

Chapter 12   Team Pate

Chapter 13   Help of Others

Chapter 14   Soldier’s Creed

Chapter 15   Soldier for Christ

Acknowledgments

What Others Say

Keith Pate

FOREWORD

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I met Keith last summer at Hernando Baptist Church. We had a missions emphasis night and he had come with his neighbor and my friend, Shane. Shane introduced me to Keith, telling me that he played football on the 2000 national championship team at Delta State University. Since I serve as the team chaplain, Shane figured we would both enjoy getting to know each other as we had such a common interest in the Fighting Okra.

We did not have much time that evening to visit and get to know each other, but in that moment, I was intrigued. What was Keith’s story? Here was a man in front of me who was chiseled in his muscular strength, had a very clean haircut and style, was dressed like one of the cool kids from school, and was walking with a crutch. His voice was high-pitched and squeaky.

As the sovereignty of God prevailed, I had the chance to visit with Keith about two weeks later. I was returning a tool that I had borrowed from Shane and Keith happened to be at his house. Shane had recently built a new woodworking shop and wanted me to take a minute and enjoy his new place of escape. Shane, Keith, and I found ourselves out in the shop. The tour didn’t take long, and my mind was going back to the question What is the story with Keith? It just didn’t add up. All I could imagine was a car wreck or something similar had caused this national championship football player to now have to balance himself with that crutch.

As I often do, I just came out and asked Keith, as I reached out and touched the crutch that he was using, What is this about? What’s your story?

I won’t spoil it for you, but in the next few minutes, as he told me all about his crutch, all I could think was getting him in front of my Delta State football players!

I asked if he would come and share with the team