The Heart of a Warrior

Chad Robichaux comes from a long line of military service members. His grandparents fought in World War II and Korea. His father served in Vietnam, and both of Chad’s sons served in the Marines. Chad was himself a force recon Marine who did eight deployments to Afghanistan.

Chad recalls when his vehicle was surrounded by Taliban armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. His unit referred to dangerous situations like that as “being on the X” – the X representing the center of a target. In other words, you’re smack in the center of a kill zone.

Chad’s training taught him two rules about “being on the X”:

You have to recognize that you’re in a bad situation.
You have to get off the X before something bad happens.

You don’t have to serve in the military to be on the X. You can be stuck because of an addiction, a struggling marriage, passivity, fear, depression, or other hardships in life.

For Chad, “being on the X” in civilian life began with bringing his anger and frustration home with him from Afghanistan. He became a self-described tyrant with his family – slamming doors, breaking things, and speaking harshly. Eventually, his anxiety escalated into full-blown panic attacks that manifested physiologically as numbness in his fingers, in his face, and in his throat to the degree that he struggled to breathe.

The solution for Chad – and the solution for us in our struggles – is recognizing that we’re in a bad situation and doing something to get off the X.

We’re airing a recorded talk by Chad Robichaux on our Focus on the Family Broadcast called “The Heart of a Warrior,” in which he shares how the assurance of Christ can empower you to move away from the X and to step forward into a life of promise with God.

Listen on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

If you’re stuck on an X, we have caring Christian counselors on staff who can offer you a free consultation. Call us, leave your name and number, and they’ll get back with you just as soon as possible. The number during business hours is 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).

I’d also like to offer you a copy of Chad’s book Saving Aziz: How the Mission to Help One Became a Calling to Save Thousands for a gift of any amount. Click here for more information or give us a call at 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).