Loving someone who's serving in the military can have its challenges. The struggles we face go beyond the overwhelming fear we feel during deployments. Often it's the small things that can be the most trying.
To cope, I developed a list of reminders to help me keep things in perspective when I got overwhelmed:
1. I never was in control.
I've always been a control freak, as most of you know if you read this blog regularly. Having a son in the Marine Corps was a situation tailor-made to drive me nuts.
I had to remind myself that any control I thought I had in the past was much more of an illusion than fact. Even more than that, I had to remember that life situations could turn out well, without my hands-on assistance.
2. God is in control.
Acknowledging that God truly is in control helped. I found comfort in the fact that God had the perspective to see everything–past, present, and future–and how all three worked together.
3. God knows what's coming.
Not only is God in control, but he knows what's ahead. He has already put things in place to help us when we need it most.
4. Nothing lasts forever.
Stress and worry have an irritating way of elongating time. When I'm in the middle of a tough situation, it can seem life will always be tough. Truthfully, time really does continue to march onward, and things will get better.
5. I am stronger than I think.
During this part of my life, I found that I was constantly underestimating myself. I was guilty of immediately judging myself to be unable when I bumped into difficulties. Instead, I found God had equipped me for that part of my life before it ever began.
Beyond that, during those times when I really wasn't strong enough, God was right there with me. He gave me his strength, and walked through those situations with me.
6. It's not my job to anticipate what's ahead.
So often the things I spent time stressing about never materialized. I discovered that I have a gift for imagining the worst. I had to work to stay focused on what was happening instead of what could happen.
These are the things that helped me through the frustrations of having a son in the military. I'd love to know what things gave you the strength you needed when life got tough. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
