He made such a mess of things, he almost gave up entirely. He almost believed he’d created such failure in his life that he, his wife and children would be better off if he killed himself. Perhaps the ego that caused his downfall is what stepped in between himself and his gun that day. Perhaps the thought of admitting defeat, rather than the thought of life being a gift is what made him snap back to the moment and see it through. But whatever the reason was then, Jason is grateful now that he endured that pain that allowed him to begin a new part of his life.

Finally, Jason Redman heard the words of a mentor and absorbed them as help.

He realized it was time to acknowledge his own accountability for his situation and take the appropriate steps to fight his way back into the leadership position he knew he had the ability to do, no matter how much it sucked along the way.

Slowly and painfully, Jason rebuilt himself into a leader his teammates could trust. Step by step he earned his way back into the service he loved, newly aware of the power of humility.

God works in mysterious ways, says Jason Redman. Often the end of one thing marks the beginning of something new – but only if you don’t give up.

It looked like Jason had endured the biggest struggle he’d have to face, and overcome it. He’d mastered key leadership traits, made it through Ranger school, earned his way back to a SEAL team and his marriage had weathered each storm along the way. But Fate wasn’t quite done with Jason yet, and in 2012 he was wounded in combat. Seven bullets struck him that day. One went right through his face. Jason fell to the ground and his teammates thought he was dead. 

It’s true, he says – life does flash before your eyes when you believe you are slipping into death. Or at least it did for him. Thoughts of his wife Erica and his three beautiful children swam through his mind. He could not accept not making it home to them.

Jason Redman’s teammates refused to give up either. 

They called in an airstrike to their position. It would either kill them or save them, but without it, they would certainly die. 

It worked, and Jason and two other wounded teammates were safely evacuated. 

His wife came to the hospital and never left his side. Together, they decided pity would have no place in Jason’s recovery or their family’s future. Instead, they turned to humor and faith and gratefully accepted help along the way. 

The bullet that struck his face destroyed much of it. He was left severely disfigured, with a hole where his nose should be, and his jaw was shattered. He had a tracheotomy for months, and his jaw was wired shut. His left arm almost had to be amputated. 

It was a daunting recovery ahead, for sure, packed with dozens of surgeries, thousands of stitches, regular trips for treatment, and the discomfort of people staring at him in public.