Pentagon announces deployment of additional US troops to Saudi Arabia
Defense Secretary Mark Esper announces the deployment of two more fighter squadrons to Saudi Arabia in response to the growing threat from Iran.
Headlines and newscasts are full of talk of World War III and conflict with Iran – the stuff of nightmares for military spouses. They cause deep-rooted anxiety and terrorizing fears of the unknown to bubble straight to the surface.
With tensions rising in the Middle East, military spouses are on the edges of our seats waiting for answers. Questions like “Are we headed for war?” and “What does this mean for our family?” are scrolling in neon lights through our minds. We brace for impact as we pack rucksacks, stow away our emotions, and muster our strength for what’s to come.
We are about to be left alone with only our fears and doubts to keep us company. One of the hardest parts of this life is the constant waiting – waiting for orders, for homecomings, and for normalcy that, oftentimes, will never come.
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With so much uncertainty crashing like waves into our daily lives, the only safety in this sea of unrest is on the rock of daily prayer.
During my husband’s last deployment, a routine visit from a postal employee shook me to my very core. I heard a knock at the door and, when I answered it, there was a postal worker standing next to my husband’s footlockers.
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I hadn’t heard from my husband in weeks because he was driving convoys in Afghanistan and my mind raced for a valid explanation of why all of his belongings were now home – without him.
The woman smiled sweetly at me and said, “Looks like someone is coming home!” I could feel the color draining from my face and the tears welling up in my eyes. Keith wasn’t due home for months and I began to panic.
After picking up my Bible, I read the entire book of Thessalonians. At the time, I could barely pronounce “Thessalonians” and I couldn’t, for the life of me, grasp what the chapter was about. The only thing that I could wrap my heart around was the phrase “pray without ceasing.”
Prayer is a cornerstone of surviving a deployment. By offering our petitions and praises to Him, we steal the power away from the enemy that seeks to destroy us.
So, I did. I prayed while I wiped down my counters. “God, please let me husband come home.” I prayed while shuffling kids and running errands. “God, I need him,” I begged through bath time and bedtime. Many times, through falling tears, all I could muster was “Please.”
Through my daily prayers and the time spent with God, I began to find peace. I could feel Him with me, in and through that dark place.
Eventually, my husband called me. He was safe and sound but had been transferred to another location. He shipped his belongings home without giving me any warning. I was overwhelmed with thankfulness but still shaken.
Prayer is a cornerstone of surviving a deployment. It is how we can lift our voices to God and declare that He is in control. By offering our petitions and praises to Him, we steal the power away from the enemy that seeks to destroy us. We, instead, are strengthened by He who makes all things new.
Our military community needs prayer and, on Feb. 15, the She Loves Out Loud interactive live stream will rise up and meet the need.
Women everywhere will be invited to stand in the gap for those experiencing or preparing for a deployment. If you have wanted practical ways to pray for the military community, this will be the way.
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At She Loves Out Loud, I will be leading prayer over our country, our military community, and specifically for those who stand behind and support service members: military spouses.
Will you join me? Will you stand with us and for us as we support those who have answered the call to serve? We need you now more than ever.