My PTSD Walk with God

By John W Putt

We all have brokenness in our lives, and as humans, we strive to fix that ourselves while never getting there. Accepting this part of reality is your first step to the healing we all long for.

Coming from a divorced family, struggling with PTSD on a daily occurrence, enduring a flawed court system, not to mention a horrible VA experience, John experienced a transformation that helped him overcome all of these issues through Jesus Christ. It was then when the grace of God looked the devil in the eye and said, "No more!"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: May 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887514673

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My PTSD Walk with God

John W Putt III

ISBN 979-8-88943-500-6 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88751-467-3 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by John W Putt III

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Forewords

Prologue

I Have Blue Blood

The Government

The Small Church on the Highway

The Move to the Big Church

Reality Hits

No Mask, No Entry

Mal, Something or Another

Is That You, God?

The Reality of Trusting in Jesus

Can It Get Any Better?

The Answer

Acknowledgments

About the Author

I would like to thank my godsent, Addyson (a.k.a. @thekontactkid); Dad could not be more proud of you. You have had to endure so much—I'm sorry, and I love you unconditionally! God knew I needed a best friend, and, sweetie, He sent you!

My wife, my soulmate, and my rock—wow! As I try and compose my thoughts to share, I want to apologize in one way for what I have put you through. On the other side, I can't apologize for what Jesus has done in my life. I was so relieved that we were finally able to get answers. With that said, I look forward to the rest of my walk on earth with you! God is awesome and has something special planned. Thank you for being the mother of my daughter and my wife. I love you.

Forewords

John has discovered the Word of God is not just a bunch of archaic words passed down through the ages on dusty scrolls, but rather it is The Book of Life that is our roadmap to Christ and a life of living service to our King.

Thank you,

Charles D. Doug Morris

Joshua 24:15

Putt's story of dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder is one of overcoming. PTSD has been the plague of soldiers of war. In my fifty years of ministry, I have seen men who went through WWII and wars fought by Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan suffering with this disorder. It has been called shell-shocked and battle fatigue. Now it is categorized as PTSD and is the diagnosis to people who share the same symptoms dealing with a traumatic event in their lives.

Soldiers, I believe, have a unique story. When they go through basic training, they are tested both physically and mentally. A soldier is trained to obey commands in the act of war despite what their conscience says. When they come home, after the despicable acts war puts them into, the commander is no longer there; the conscience takes over. The battle is within and many times without hope.

John joined Walnut Street Baptist Church with his family. I was his pastor for a few years. He came up to me one night after a seminar I was teaching on Islam. When he told me of his problem, it became evident to me that it was PTSD. I knew he was fighting that battle within by counseling and support groups.

One evening, after I had retired from the pastorate, I saw him at Lowe's. He was a changed man in a very deep way. His explanation was God had brought a remarkable change in his life. The countenance on his face glowed with victory.

Now professionals will tell you that there is no ultimate cure for PTSD, but John might bring a good argument to the table. Allowing Jesus to have real control of your life changes the whole perspective of life. Afterall, Jesus is the Captain of our salvation. Although the battle goes on, He causes us to triumph in everything.

Thanks, John, for sharing your story of victory.

—Glen Putman, EdD

Prologue

June 7, 2021, Rizzo and I were preparing for court. Rizzo was already dressed. I had his service dog vest on (not required by ADA), but I didn't need to give the court any more reason to hate on me. I even put a muzzle on Rizzo so he wouldn't get us thrown out for his mouth. Rizzo and I had been working hard to get him where I needed