“I missed you, Daddy,” said my two year old daughter.  She had just embraced her precious daddy after being away from him for two months.  She was overjoyed at seeing her best buddy again after what probably seemed like ages in her mind.  After he reunited with her, my husband greeted our eight month old son, who seemed to genuinely remember him.  Tears spilled over my eyes as I cherished these moments.  It was so good to have him back home again, even for just a little while.

My husband, Will, is a recent seminary graduate and just returned from a couple of months at the U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School.  He is a brand new Chaplain with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for him and our family.  Will is a prior service officer with a unique story about his call to the chaplaincy.  He deployed to Iraq in 2003 and we were convinced that God would lay on Will’s (and my) heart the perfect plan for our future and career plans.  We were not sure if he should make the Army a career or get out and become a Mechanical Engineer.  It seemed as though our lives were tossed up in the air with the news of his pending deployment, but we decided early on to give our worries and fears over to God.  We decided on what we called a “deployment verse,” which we would both read and study during our separation.  We chose 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, which says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

Once Will arrived in the Middle East, he immediately began to feel God tugging at his heart.  Through a series of events, it became clear that God was calling him into ministry, and specifically, the Army Chaplaincy.  He had given Jesus his life years earlier, but in the deserts of Iraq, he gave his career as well.  He realized that a deep passion for soldiers and their relationships with God was emblazoned on his heart.  I immediately felt as though God was going to use Will as a light in the darkness, and his mission field would be lost soldiers.  As a wife, there are few greater joys than to watch as your husband realizes what his life’s purpose is.  Everything seemed to finally make sense. 

Although ministry was never an option we had discussed prior to his deployment, we were both over the moon with excitement, relief, and anticipation.  We jumped head first into planning out the next few years and it was thrilling to see God at work in all the details. 

With seminary now under his belt and Chaplain School completed, Will has joined his unit in the Cav.  They are set to deploy in December.  We have two small children and some have expressed concern about my well-being, as well as Will’s safety in a war zone.  I always like to direct our focus back to our original deployment verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. 

Through good and bad circumstances, we should rejoice, pray, and give thanks.  This is not easy, but it is God’s will.  Will I miss him?  Will I worry?  Will I struggle caring for two children alone?  Of course.  Will I count down the days until he comes back?  Will I be disappointed by all he’s missing at home?  Will I shed countless tears?  Absolutely.  Will I be proud of my husband?  Will I look to God for strength?  Will I rejoice, pray, and give thanks?  You can count on it.  My hope is in Christ and I will lean on Him.  Always.