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During my husband’s first assignment at Fort Benning, Georgia, he was tasked to go on a month long military exercise in Germany. I was not eager for this separation, but I worked diligently to be as prepared as possible. We got all our ducks in a row before I was left at home as a single parent with two preschoolers for one month: |
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- Cars serviced (Richard even bought a new one so it would be sure to be reliable!) -- CHECK
- Power of Attorney -- CHECK
- Financial Information -- CHECK
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We were ready! Looking back, the anxiety I felt seems rather silly in the light of the lengthy separations we later endured. However, it was our first, and it was high drama!
The boys and I did very well while Richard was away. I planned many activities to keep them busy and occupied. Richard sent them cards and treats as regularly as he could. (This was in the day before email. How quickly times have changed!)
I had heard from others that if anything was going to go wrong, it would happen while husbands were deployed. They turned out to be right! Midway through this separation, Ft. Benning was hit with a major ice storm, an unusual event for this town in the deep South! I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of water dripping in an area of the house where water was not supposed to drip. Water poured down the living room walls. The cold weather had frozen the pipes, and the upstairs radiator had burst.
Several neighbors came to help me move the furniture (of course the living room was only room in the house that had new furniture!). To make matters worse, there were so many greater emergencies on the installation because of the weather that our work order was low on the priority list. As a result, what began as a leak down the walls ended up being a ceiling completely caved in!
Does it ever feel like everything is crashing down around you? Even when the boxes are checked and you have prepared yourself, the unexpected storm comes and the ceiling caves in. Life happens. We live in a world where we are too often surprised by events and circumstances that result in damage.
When my living room ceiling caved in all I knew to do was cry for help! When circumstances get out of control and it feels like the walls are crashing in around you: |
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We were ready! Looking back, the anxiety I felt seems rather silly in the light of the lengthy separations we later endured. However, it was our first, and it was high drama!
The boys and I did very well while Richard was away. I planned many activities to keep them busy and occupied. Richard sent them cards and treats as regularly as he could. (This was in the day before email. How quickly times have changed!)
I had heard from others that if anything was going to go wrong, it would happen while husbands were deployed. They turned out to be right! Midway through this separation, Ft. Benning was hit with a major ice storm, an unusual event for this town in the deep South! I woke in the middle of the night to the sound of water dripping in an area of the house where water was not supposed to drip. Water poured down the living room walls. The cold weather had frozen the pipes, and the upstairs radiator had burst.
Several neighbors came to help me move the furniture (of course the living room was only room in the house that had new furniture!). To make matters worse, there were so many greater emergencies on the installation because of the weather that our work order was low on the priority list. As a result, what began as a leak down the walls ended up being a ceiling completely caved in!
Does it ever feel like everything is crashing down around you? Even when the boxes are checked and you have prepared yourself, the unexpected storm comes and the ceiling caves in. Life happens. We live in a world where we are too often surprised by events and circumstances that result in damage.
When my living room ceiling caved in all I knew to do was cry for help! When circumstances get out of control and it feels like the walls are crashing in around you: |
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Cry out to the Lord for help. He desires to help us out of our trouble.
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Psalm 107:28-30
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Cry out to others for help. When you are struggling with difficult circumstances, be willing to be vulnerable with others and allow them to comfort and help you.
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
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Brenda Pace has been a military wife for twenty-two years. Her Army chaplain husband has been deployed with the 82d Airborne Division for the past eight months. Brenda is the past president of Protestant Women of the Chapel-USA and is currently serving as a national advisor for this military ministry.
Brenda will be sharing a regular Question/Answer column on the Military MOPS Web site. Do you have a question for her? Submit it to MOMSense@MOPS.org |
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