By David Lim
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My name is David Lim. Son of Ki and Kate Lim. Brother to Andreana Lim. I was born 1986 into Korean First Baptist Church, now New Vision, and many of you know our family as we know yours. And much to your astonishment, I have grown up and have been an active duty soldier in the US Army since June 2007. I left Ft. Lewis, WA January 2010 for a six to eight month deployment to Southern Afghanistan with my unit, 2nd Battalion 1st Special Forces Group. On July 23, 2010, I returned from my first combat tour from which I should not have survived. |
I will always remember one mission. Under the cover of darkness, several helicopters dropped my team and me into a hostile area far from our bases. We were in Taliban territory. Throughout the day we took enemy fire. Most of it was pretty accurate. At one point, bullets were flying no more than one to three feet above my head. I saw the thin, black streaks fly across right in front of my face and ricochet off the ground and dirt walls around us. I remember thinking, “Wow, the video games really got the ricochet sounds right.” That was the first time I had ever been shot at and while some people will tell you that they thought of family as their lives flashed before their eyes, as for me, I – that’s right – thought of video games. I guess that’s because I never really felt like I was in much danger. All humor aside, that wasn’t even the best part of the day.
As we waited for the helicopters to come and pick us back up, we were waiting along a dirt road. We were just about to relax during our wait when a small explosion went off no more than 10 feet from where I was standing. It was a small explosion that frightened those around it, but puzzled me. To me, even at 10 feet away, I thought it was just someone who had accidently fired their weapon at the ground. But an Afghan Army Engineer would inspect the blast site later and inform us that it was an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) after seeing wires sticking out of the ground.
IEDs have two “stages,” if you will, after the trigger is initiated. There is the detonator and the main charge. The detonator sets off the main charge which holds the big explosion everyone associates with an IED. In plain language, there is a smaller explosion to set off the bigger explosion. What my teammates and I had experienced was the firing of the detonator that had somehow failed to detonate the main charge. Again, plain language, there was a small explosion but no big one! How lucky were we to have survived an IED blast with not a single person killed and even more miraculous, not a single person injured? If the main charge had blown, I would have returned home in an American flag draped casket. Not spare the details of my unbelievable survival, who knows if my teammates would have been able to find all of my shredded remains after the blast.
Honestly, I didn’t think much of it. “Stuff happens,” I thought, “It’s just the nature of war.” But a week later, I’d lose a teammate, a friend and brother. And for the first time I questioned why I survived. Why me but not my brother? To the dismay of my family and friends, I’d take his place in a heart-beat if I could. I still don’t know the answer and I don’t know if I ever will. But as the cliché saying goes, “God works in mysterious ways.”
I knew family and friends were praying for my safe return. But I also knew nothing is in our control and if it was my time, it was my time. I wasn’t going to argue or go against it. But we all know God answers prayers and he definitely answered the day I should have perished. Call it divine intervention or whatever you want, it’s nothing short of a miracle that we survived. Matthew 18:19-20 reads, “19Again, I tell you that if two of you on Earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” To have had the prayers of an entire church was immensely powerful to have sheltered my entire team.
I was fortunate to have been in God’s good grace. The more I share my incident, the more my listeners remind me that the IED’s failed detonation didn’t happen without reason. The miracle of my survival was all according to God’s will and plan. Now what that is, I don’t know yet. Just like I don’t know why my brother was taken. But God has shown that he is a merciful and powerful God. He is my sword and shield, my strength and armor. He is great and I have no doubt that I will fully understand and appreciate the aftermath of the malfunctioned IED that could have taken my life.
Prayer is a powerful weapon. It allows frightened people to have courage, for anxious people to find comfort and even for radical Islamists to blow themselves up in the name of Allah. Military personnel, like me, often serve people who are unappreciative of our work as they demonstrate and blatantly disrespect us. But often times as well, we underappreciated the value of those who pray for us back home. I am a lucky survivor, but before this war is over, there will be many who aren’t. I ask you to continue to pray for them and their families.
I thank everyone who has donated their time for me in their thoughts and prayers since the beginning of this year. Please continue to pray for the others and God bless.
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