Something that I am sure of is that everyone has there own definition of "the crazy life". No one ever has a real grasp or control of situations and circumstances that arise. And I am no different than anyone else out there. My journey is crazy, unpredictable really. One thing that I have learned about being in ministry is that I have to always be ready to be open and welcoming but at the same time ready to say goodbye. It's pretty easy to type that, but emotionally it puts you on a roller coaster. Just in my short years in ministry I have built relationships with people and have seen them go off to another part of this world. And I myself have journeyed off to serve and love and then say goodbye. I would not change a single thing. Each friendship made has taught me something and I can only pray that I have left something good behind. I sit and wonder what's next, will I be able to continue being joyful, and what is all this preparing me for?
Then life gets real and DEPLOYMENT happens and I realize no matter how many friends move away or get married or babies are born this is the craziest. As we talked about and planned for my brothers second deployment everything seemed a little more somber. You know why? Well because he now has a wife. Yes it was hard to see a brother, a son, a grandson, a nephew depart to a country we knew nothing of but war but now with Erin everything changes a bit. Her life is now truly "the crazy life".
Also, my friend Stacy has been in this crazy life of deployment for 6 months now.
Seeing the lives of these two women is remarkable and I know that their husbands couldn't be more proud. Many people are so encouraged by their courage. The crazier thing to me is they fell in love with men knowing the possibility of being left on the home front. I am convinced that no one or no book can prepare you for such a change. I even find myself praying that the Lord keeps me from falling in love with a solider (its hard enough saying goodbye to a brother). I am just that selfish. I am so very thankful for the life of a wife of a solider. Thank you for supporting your men, your families, and your homes.
Today in the midst of all of that I am encouraged by Psalm 119:90,96 "Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast. I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandments is exceedingly broad."
The Lord is forever faithful to us and he is perfect beyond our comprehension of perfection. Ladies in your crazy life be forever reminded that there is one who cares for you more and better than your husbands and his plan for you is perfection!
Erin and Jeremy at the send-off (picture quality terrible I know. It's a pic of pic.)
Stacy's operation "halfway done"
