Preparing for Battle

 

The “Big D” is coming, and I don’t mean Dallas or Divorce (as the country song says), but the other dreaded Big D: my husband’s Deployment. I can push it out of my mind as much as I want, but there is a huge pile of gear that my hubby brought home last week which serves as a physical reminder that this mountain, this marathon, this storm, is approaching…and it’s time to start prepping for it.

As I’ve mentioned, the last deployment was a very difficult time for me. Unlike the soldiers preparing for their battles, I went into it not expecting or anticipating the landmines and challenges that I would face. After all, I wasn’t the one deploying. So, I was not prepared. I wasn’t trained up. I wasn’t wearing my bulletproof vest. I was weak and unprepared, like a lamb headed to the slaughter, and as a result, I came out of the fight pretty beat up.

Not this time! Oh, no!

This time, I am going to prepare my heart, mind and spirit. I know the domestic challenges that await me, and even more important, I’m anticipating the attacks on my heart. This verse keeps coming back to me: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23. I couldn’t agree more, especially during long separations from my husband.

It’s preparation and training time!

First, I have to get in the habit of reading my Bible EVERY day. I’ve been a Christian a long time and I’m kind of embarrassed at how long it’s take me to realize this very simple and basic truth. I must keep tucking those words of life, instruction and encouragement into my heart and soul. Otherwise, I start to believe my own half-truths, and those, my friends, are some scary and dangerous things.

Second, it’s time to weed out things that could be used against me. Take account of some of my negative thoughts (my pity parties), my destructive actions (retail therapy!) and look for even unconscious bad habits. Instead, it’s time to find healthier options (exercise), choose better habits (be thankful) and not let bad days – and my emotions – get the best of me. If I’m disciplined now then these things will be habits when I need them most.

Third, I’m going to appreciate the time we have right now as a family. The next few months are going to be all about our family unit, spending quality time together – family movie and game nights, family day-trips and hikes, etc. – to create memories to last us these next several months while strengthening our bonds with each other.

Fourth, in the upcoming months, I’m going to continue to forge bonds and traditions with friends here. Whether they like it or not, these ladies around me will be my lifeline during the deployment. And I hope to be a source of encouragement and support for them as well.

Lastly, now is the time to set goals for myself during the deployment. Life changes when my husband is gone, but it doesn’t stop. In fact, in some ways, it gives me more time focus on the things I’d like to pursue. Plus, keeping busy and working towards positive goals will definitely keep the blues at bay. On my list so far: I’d like to catch up on my scrapbooks and there is a long list of books I’d like to read. It’d also be a perfect time to learn something new, like sewing, or brush up on those three years of Spanish I took in high school. Setting goals is the first step in achieving them.

A wise man once told me, “Live intentionally.” So much of our life and attitude is a choice. Therefore, I’m working to choose wisely. Now that I’ve said it, please keep me accountable!

I’m working through the book, “Nehemiah: a Heart that Can Break” by Kelly Minter, with some friends (see, already working on point #1 and #4!). In the book she mentions she says this prayer some days: “Lord, be my husband, my father, my brother.” That is so applicable to my life and situation. We don’t always have or are able to count on people, or life situations, but as Kelly Minter says, “’I’ve got God.’ And, by the way, He trumps everything.” Amen.