Currently we are living in Connecticut for five months while my husband trains for his next assignment. By the time we had unpacked and put away all of our belongings and gotten pictures hung, we were down to four months before our next move, which means mentally and emotionally I am already beginning to check out of here before we have even made this place home. We just found a church and have yet to get settled in a small group or find a place to serve. We just got Q into preschool and both kids just started swim lessons. I have only barely met a few new friends and it is already almost time to leave. I was pretty much resigned that this period of life would be a wash and I was just biding my time until we could move on to a more permanent home. As usual, God had other plans.
A couple of weeks ago I spent the evening with a bunch of young 20-something women at a Bible study. I had never met most of them and the only one I did know I had barely met once when she invited me to this study {these situations in which you know no one but put yourself out there anyway are just typical for us military spouses}. All the women were younger than me, civilians, many newly-weds, a few unmarried, a couple with young children. But as young as they were, they were so mature in Christ, smart, and obviously passionate about their faith. It was humbling and refreshing. Humbling to be the older more experienced woman so impressed by the knowledge and faith of younger women. Refreshing to be around such women of faith diving deep into the Word together. What an unexpected blessing during this time of transition for me. Praise God! I may be willing to chalk a few months up to wasted time, but He is not.
This experience reminded me of God's faithfulness to provide us with opportunities to learn and grow in every single place we have lived and traveled to over my husband's military career. It amazes me to think back over the ways He has provided for me above and beyond what we could have hoped for when we least expected it. It turns out that being a military spouse has given God the opportunity to bless me by showing His faithfulness and unfailing love for me over and over and over again as our situation continues to change and continues to be out of our control. He is ultimately in control of it all and He provides.
Even at times when I was dissatisfied with His provision, in hindsight I can see just how much He cared for me. Like when we lived in Singapore for six months and I was woefully unhappy, we never found a local church, but we were able to watch our SC church online and continue to grow. I was able to continue participating in my online goodmorninggirls Bible study with my friends from our CA small group. And God even literally sent one of my very good friends with me to Singapore and we lived down the hall from one another. So even in one of the most difficult times in my life, I can see just how faithful God was to provide for me.
Another time we were stationed in NH for a short six months which left me with little hope of finding a job. And God provided my dream job at the time. The position did not even exist to my knowledge. I was interviewing for something else and the church saw my heart and my gifts and laid my dream job in my lap without me even asking, knowing that I would only be there for six months. Unheard of, but all things are possible with God.
I could go on, but suffice it to say that no matter where in the world we have moved, no matter how short or long the duration of our stay, God has been faithful to provide us with opportunities for growth and community. I don't know how I continue to be surprised when He does it again.
"Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!"
1 comment:
That is one of many challenges being a military spouse but as long as you have faith in God and support each other as family things will fall right into place. Good luck to your family.
Milspouse
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