Mark Dean | Giving Hope to the Hopeless

The author of "Miracles on a Rooftop" talks about the struggles he faced and what drove him to wanting to tell his story.

We all face challenges in our lives, and they can be difficult to overcome. In some cases, our lives may have a domino effect, where one thing after another happens, and we may not be sure how to navigate our way through the chaos that comes at us head on.

Mark Dean is someone who has experienced a lot in his lifetime. Addiction, homelessness, divorce, and incarceration are all things that Dean has been through, but he was able to make it out on the other end, when all hope seemed lost. His debut book, “Miracles on a Rooftop: When the Impossible is Made Possible,” chronicles his time spent as a U.S. Marine in Iraq, fighting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) upon his return, and overcoming all the obstacles he has faced in his life.

The idea of writing a book about his experiences overseas is something Dean said he wanted to do after his last Iraq tour in 2006. But, at that time, it didn’t feel like it was the right moment. It wasn’t until after he experienced a multitude of other events in his life that Dean felt more compelled to tell his story.

“It was after I had gone through addiction and homelessness and all this crazy stuff that I never would have thought in a million years would happen to me. I sat down, and I was like, ‘God, how can I tell the people? How can I tell this world about everything that you have done for me? Because you’ve done so much for me.’ I’m not a speaker. I don’t get up and talk in front of people. But He was like, ‘Write a book and work up to speaking.’”

Once Dean sat down to write his book, it would be a little bit at a time, about one to three pages a day, he said, or however much was on his heart at the time.

“I started do it, and, man, I would pray every time before I started writing. I would start writing and say, ‘This is to give hope to the hopeless. This is to give healing to the hurt. I can’t do this on my own.’ And I would pray, ‘Holy Spirit. Put the words in my heart that will reach the readers.’ And it just blew me away on how it all came together. It’s still unbelievable for me how it all just fell into place.”

Putting these stories together into a book was not an easy feat for Dean, he said. Recalling the memories of the past and the emotions he experienced made it difficult during certain periods.

“The month of April is a really bad month. We lost a lot of guys over there before, during, and after a battle called the Battle of Husaybah on the Syrian border. I was writing this book in April 2021, and I got into chapter five or chapter six, talking about my addiction phase and the loneliness and the homelessness and all that. Writing that down on paper just really sucked the life out of me.”

There came a point during that month where Dean said he became too emotionally drained and stopped writing, unsure if he would be able to finish the book. It wasn’t until he received a phone call from Leon Gage – someone he never met but with whom he had a connection through Krewe Pass, the fan club for Christian singer Lauren Daigle.

“He was speaking all of these words of encouragement, and it was enough to pull me out of that funk. All of my friends at Krewe Pass were calling me and encouraging me. If it was not for them, I don’t know how long it would have taken me to pull out of that funk.”

Both Daigle and the Krewe Pass are listed in the dedication and acknowledgement pages, alongside the names of Dean’s friends and family members, people with whom he served, and other well-known figures such as Elevation Worship and Bishop T.D. Jakes. Dean said that Daigle’s music helped him get through his incarceration.

“I was just not finding a way out of it, and I wanted it to stop; I wanted out of that life. But I would slip right back into it. I was talking to my ex-wife on the phone while I was locked up, and she said, ‘Try listening to Christian music or good positive music for 30 days.’ We had these tablets in jail, and I started listening to the Christian station. I like praise and worship, but I’ve never liked Christian music on the radio – it always sounded kind of corny to me.”

It wasn’t until he heard Daigle’s song, “Trust in You,” that his opinion on Christian music changed, Dean added.

“I heard this song, and [she had] the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard in my life. And that sparked my desire to start listening to Christian music more. She’s anointed; she has a gift that cannot be explained, but you can hear it in the music.”

The preaching of both Bishop TD Jakes and Pastor Steven Furtick, in addition to Daigle’s music, helped Dean turn his life around during his incarceration, he said.

“It pulled me out of that lifestyle and strengthened me every single day to where I’m sober now, going on four years. So that’s why I dedicated the book to them.”

Another person to whom Dean dedicated the book is his ex-wife, Becky Jo. Despite being divorced, Dean said he has been able to maintain a strong relationship with her, and she was there for him when he was at his lowest point in life.

“I really put her through the ringer as far as the PTSD goes. She’s an incredible woman that helped me through life. What I did was my fault; it wasn’t her fault. I just wanted to tell her thank you. She encouraged me to be a better person. Even though we were split apart, she would encourage me and pray for me. We’re still best friends.”

As noted in the book, September 25, 2020, is the day when Dean went sober. The day prior, he had just been released from jail, but he immediately went back to his old habits with the people with whom he used to hang out and get high. But Dean stated that, as soon as he smoked meth one time, something was different, and it was no longer the life he wanted.

“God changed the desires of my heart, and it felt different that time. I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore. It’s making me crazy. It’s driving my mind insane.’ And, after that day, I made the decision, and I surrendered it all to God. And He has been with me every step of the way.”

Dean added that he hasn’t been able to convert any of the people with whom he used to do drugs, out of fear of reverting back to his old ways. But he did mention that God has another plan for him, and what he’s currently doing now with his book and the mission he’s on will inspire others.

“God told me, ‘Live your life as you’re doing. Your actions speak louder than words. They will see that, and that will motivate them to do better.’ I’ve had a few messages where they said, ‘If Mark can do it, I can do it.’ I was pretty bad.”

Dean admits to feeling uncertain about sharing his story and his low moments to the rest of the world. But he also knew that it would benefit someone who is currently experiencing what he went through.

“It was therapeutic in a way to get it on paper and to get it out, but it was very tough. It was tough to put all that information out there for the world to see, because I was ashamed of it. It’s embarrassing – so embarrassing – the things that I’ve done. But I was like, ‘There’s people out there like me that have gone through the same thing that are hopeless. They feel there’s no way out. They feel like they’re trapped.’ And I was like, ‘I have to let them know there is a way out. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.’ So that really helped me finish it.”

For those who are currently going through what Dean went through, he said that there is hope for everyone. And that is something he wants to share with the rest of the world.

“Don’t let shame and guilt keep you down. Shame and guilt were the enemy’s number one weapon against me. I could not forgive myself for anything, and I didn’t think I would ever pull out of it. It may seem like a grave, but it’s a tunnel. And there is light and life at the end of the tunnel. Keep pushing. Keep fighting. That glorious day is coming. I promise you. We don’t know when, and we don’t know how. But that’s not up to us to know that. That’s up to God to do that, and He will.”

To learn more, be sure to visit the book’s official website. You can also follow on Facebook and Instagram for more updates as they become available. “Miracles on a Rooftop” is available for purchase on the official website, as well as Amazon and other book retailers.

Author’s note: I will be releasing the full interview with Mark Dean tomorrow. Please consider becoming a subscriber, so you can be one of the first to hear the conversation.

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