Because of numerous ups and downs, the sleepless nights, the shed tears, and the countless fears and worries for one another, this journey appeared to have no end.   I worked a full-time job, carried out the roles of mother and father to our three children, maintained our home and property, and continued to be a supportive wife to my homesick husband.  The list of responsibilities was endless.

‎“You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.” (Psalm 18:28)

I became very ill at one point of this journey, and our children were too young to take care of themselves. Feeling powerless and helpless, admitting my limitations, I asked a dear friend for help.  At first, it was difficult for me to recognize the need and that I should accept support offered by those who were willing.  I later realized that my calling for help was not a sign of frailty, but of strength, contrary to my perception.  This afforded me the insight and ability to reach out to others who might need a helping hand, but afraid to ask.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast ALL your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV).

December 13, 2009—precisely three hundred sixty-five days, one full year had elapsed. Our sweet abode seemed untouched.   The holiday decorations, the twinkling lights, and the festive garlands remained in their places.  Pacing up and down across the floor, I prepared our home, ensuring every item was in its perfect arrangement.  Our children woke up overly excited and repeatedly asking about the homecoming. I had a permanent smile painted on my face and tears of joy that morning, waiting patiently for the precise moment.  I could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“HE is before all things, and in HIM all things HOLD TOGETHER” (Colossians 1:17).

The golden sun was shining brighter; the azure skies were so inviting.  The day could not be any more perfect.  Everyone seemed extremely overjoyed and could not reach the entrance door to the airfield hangar fast enough.  This familiar place welcomed us with open arms—banners, balloons, red, white, and blue were far and wide.  The cheerful children were coloring banners and waving flags.  The families exchanged stories and spoke highly of their soldiers.  The two hours remaining of this journey appeared to last forever.

“Twenty minutes!”

The sounds of excitement and enthusiasm erupted throughout the hangar, for the announcement was clearly received. That same phrase that wounded me was now healing me.  We proceeded outside, awaiting the plane to gracefully touch the ground.  The frosty air did not seem to bother the crowd.  Unexpectedly, the gargantuan aircraft poked out of the sky.  I quickly pinched myself, ensuring that it was not a dream.  The Eagle had swiftly landed.

Tumultuous cheering arose throughout the crowd as the doors of the aircraft opened, and the soldiers stepped down from the plane one by one.  I carefully watched each one walk towards those who had gathered to welcome them home, expecting to see a familiar face.  It was incredibly difficult to tell them apart.   Our children captured my attention as they ran closer in the direction of the large cluster of soldiers, calling out “Dad.”  In spite of his sheer exhaustion, there he stood, looking directly at us with the most incredible smile you could imagine.

As soon as the gigantic doors widely opened, the hangar swallowed the servicemen and servicewomen inside, greeted with pride and welcoming cheers.  Once the formality of the ceremony broke, our children welcomed Shawn with their biggest hugs while I captured every moment with my camera.  I remembered whispering to myself as I walked toward my husband, “Thank you God for your unfailing love and strength.  This journey is finally over!” At last, our family was complete again.

‎“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most”  (Hebrews 4:16 NLT).

Campbell Army Airfield hangar may simply be an abode to various helicopters and a workplace to aviators.  Nevertheless, the aviation hangar holds an extraordinary place in my heart.  The entire existence of this massive structure establishes both the ghastly beginning and the blissful ending of our yearlong journey.  With the strengthening of my faith, I discovered courage I never knew I possessed.

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

_____

You can read Part One here.

Our guest blogger is Army wife Jennifer Paris.  She and her family are going through her husband’s third deployment.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Campbell Army Airfield hangar is a typical erect building fabricated out of metal, a home to various helicopters and aviators.  This enormous structure stands in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by vast open lands and cerulean skies, located northwest of Fort Campbell.  On an ordinary day, the sounds of aviation mechanics working on these majestic aircrafts and the echoes from numerous machines engulf the entire place.  The aviation hangar represents much more than a location for my family.  It serves both as the beginning of a heartrending journey and a joyous ending of a lengthy year of struggles, finding courage and strengthening my faith along the way.

It all began one somber evening—December 13, 2008, to be exact.  The holiday festivities were all around us.  The twinkling lights encircled our beautiful Christmas tree, our festive garlands looped around the staircase railings, and the mixtures of joyous and melancholy ballads surrounded the entire dwelling.  My family and I waited for the dreadful time to greet us.  I cautiously watched Shawn as he climbed up and down the flight of stairs, finishing up with his packing, double and triple checking everything.  He positioned his camouflage bags downstairs, all lined up along the sidewall parallel to the door leading to our garage.  Our children, after gathering and packing their toys and books, comfortably sat on the couch in their warm clothes, talking softly among each other, waiting for further instructions.  I found myself with a heavy heart, standing motionless in the center of our living room, carefully observing everyone and everything.  This home, our home, was once filled with laughter and enthusiasm.  Without warning, Shawn gently grabbed my hand, tenderly placed his on my waist, and began to dance with me.  I had never felt so defeated and vulnerable as I did that night.  My heart was crying so loud, but no one could hear it.  As the song came to an end, we knew the inevitable had arrived.

I silently sat in the front passenger seat of our 4Runner as Shawn drove us to the hangar.  The ride seemed forever, and yet it was over within a blink of an eye.  The parking lot was overwhelmed with the family vehicles.  Every person, adults and children alike, wore a petrified look on their faces as they unhurriedly marched across the short distance to the hangar, lacking interest in reaching the entrance door.  As we approached this awful dream, I sensed my feet getting heavier and heavier, as if they were made of lead.  Each step resulted in excruciating agony.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

On that gloomy night, the airfield hangar stood, no longer a home for impressive helicopters, diligent mechanics, and deafening machinery, but a home for inconsolable families and departing soldiers.  For an hour, there were long, heartbreaking farewells; no one was left unaffected.  In the midst of affliction, a firm voice on the loudspeaker suddenly grasped the attention of every person, announcing the words we were reluctant to hear.

“Twenty minutes!”

Our precious time was soon to run out.  A dagger pierced through my heart as I watched our children embrace Shawn a little tighter, for they were well aware of what lay ahead. Our eyes met, and without uttering any words, we knew what we were compelled to do.  The time had arrived when we must rise above the occasion and remain strong for our children.  My heart stopped beating while we bid our final farewell.  I took one last glimpse of my beloved as he walked toward the bus.  While I firmly held our children in my arms, numbness took over my body as I embraced God’s unfailing love and strength.  The waiting game had commenced.

“Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT).

Join us tomorrow for Part Two.

___

Our guest blogger is Army wife Jennifer Paris.  She and her family are going through her husband’s third deployment.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Hi ladies,

From time to time we receive requests to assist graduate students working on studies related to the military or military spouses. Here is one more we are passing on for your information.

Do you have a spouse or partner in the military?
Has he/she ever deployed?

What:  Research study of Deployment and Military Spouses

Who:  Military spouses, 18 years or older

When:  At your convenience; 35-45 minute survey to complete and/or two weeks of diary entries (less than 10 minutes per entry)

Where:  On-line!

Why:  Help us learn more about how military deployment affects family life and relationship satisfaction in military spouses and partners

Participants also can enter a drawing to win one of several prizes: a spa day, a $50 Target gift card, a camera or webcam, a gift certificate to a JC Penney photo studio for a family photo, and a certificate to Staples for a family calendar

How: Just go on line and take the survey! Here is the link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/asumilitary

*At the end of the survey, you will be asked whether you are willing to also complete the diary portion of the study.

Sincerely,

Katrina D. Powell, M.A.

Nicole A. Roberts, Ph.D.
Arizona State University

Popularity: 5% [?]

My husband and I were married 3 years ago and we have a blended family.  That comes with challenges of its own.   The last two years has been a struggle to say the very least.  We welcomed a baby into our already full family of five children.  We have dealt with extreme financial hardships.  My husband joined The National Guard and we have waited on pins and needles dreading the deployment orders that were sure to come.  We have had battles and conflicts that come along with being a blended family.   I have become depressed, resentful and angry as I attempted to work full time, cook affordable dinners for a large hungry family, and tried to keep up with the housework.  My weekends that should have restored me left me exhausted.  I felt like I was walking—no, hiking—uphill in the dark and with a blindfold on.  It has not been a peaceful few years.

When my husband finally received his orders to deploy earlier this year I was full of panic.  I was looking with absolute dread to being alone with six children while I worked full time.  Three of the children are my stepchildren.   How were my stepchildren going to react to me being their sole care taker?   We don’t live on a military base.  I don’t know any military wives.  I don’t live near any family members that could help me.   I don’t have any support!  I was already exhausted from the work I was doing—how in the world did God expect me to do this alone?

Granted, we are only two weeks into this deployment so maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to talk.  However, I am so thankful that God has worked a miracle in my heart.  I decided that I do not have a choice but to handle everything with a cheerful heart.  If I didn’t try to do that, then everyone in our household would be miserable. God whispered into my ear that he was giving me some wonderful opportunities; all I needed to do was open my eyes and look!  He was giving me this gift to strengthen my relationship with my stepchildren.  He was also giving me this chance to strengthen my faith.  My faith had been severely weakened in the past year on top of everything else.

My faith was tested further earlier this week when I saw some frightening news on the television.  There was trouble very close to where my husband was stationed.   To my surprise I stayed very calm.  I said some prayers and I let it go into God’s hands.   Who have I become?  In the past, my anxiety and worry has caused me so much depression. I don’t recognize myself!

I am absolutely amazed right now at the work that God is doing in me and in my family.    All of the children have been wonderful so far and I have started to feel that we aren’t just a blended family—but we are becoming a regular family.   I am full of joy right now and that just doesn’t seem correct.  My husband is a stranger in a strange land dealing with dangerous situations. I am alone doing the work of at least two people (if not more!).   How is it that I’m full of joy?  The only explanation is that God has worked a miracle in my life.  I feel like a bright light is shining on me and I’m finally walking on solid ground instead of hiking uphill.    Like I said, I know there will be challenging times ahead.  I do not doubt that.  What I don’t doubt is that for once I know that I will be able to handle it.  I have God’s strength.  I have his peace that he has poured onto me.   Thank you God!

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,
along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;
I will turn the darkness into light before them
and make the rough places smooth.
These are the things I will do;
I will not forsake them.

Isaiah 42:16

Faith is a National Guard wife and mom and a new member of Wives of Faith. After journaling at home in a spiral notebook, this is her first blogging experience.
(Editor’s note: The editor hopes it is not her last!)

Popularity: 5% [?]