If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know that my most difficult challenge as a military mom was the fear I had for my son. While he was excited about his decision to serve, I seemed to dwell on the negative what-ifs. It was a long process to take my negative feelings—one by one—and turn them over to God. As I did let them go, God took each one and calmed my fears, replacing them with peace. Today I’m going to share some of the insights I gained:
1. What-ifs Aren’t Always Negative
I always thought of myself as a positive person, at least until our son enlisted. Suddenly all the what-ifs that came to my mind were possible catastrophes. It took turning my fears to God for Him to show me that there were a lot of possible positive scenarios.
2. Fear Opens an Opportunity for Faith
By talking to God about my worries, I remembered how faithful He’d already been in my life and in my son’s life. He also led me to Bible verses that proved a foundation for faith. I wouldn’t have experienced this new closeness without the initial fear I faced.
3. Change Can Be Positive
I’m not a big fan of change. But there were many positive changes—in our son and in me—when he joined the military. In him, I got to see the rapid transformation from teenager into man. I also experienced the change in my prayer life. This in turn brought about a transformation in my attitude and in the way God was able to work through me as I reached out to others.
4. Community Is Vital
I’m one of those people who retreat when I find myself in a difficult situation. My natural way of coping is to pull away and plunge deeper into isolation. As a military mom, I quickly learned that my own way of coping wasn’t working. Having a family member serving meant that I needed the community of others who had gone before me, and those who shared the same experience.
5. Accepting Help Is a Way to Bless Others
I’m ashamed to admit that I used to take great pride in being a strong, independent person. Knowing that I never needed to ask others for help gave me a lot of joy. Becoming a military mom changed that in a heartbeat. I quickly realized that accepting help wasn’t a weakness, it was actually a way to bless others.
There are a lot of positives to becoming a military mom. I hope this helps you as you learn the blessings of having a loved one who serves.
