Nothin' Doin'

I’ve been very busy this last week…doing nothing. My beloved husband is home for his 15 day R&R, so I found a vacation home in Grapeview, WA where we have been hibernating.

As he breathes in the scenery, I see him relaxing. This view could not be more different than Afghanistan (which he says resembles the surface of the moon). He doesn’t even mind the rain, and it’s rained every day since he got here. It’s the price Washingtonians pay for the beautiful green we have year-round.

Big plans for the days have been a trip to the local bakery on Wednesday, the grocery store for more milk on Thursday, two trips to my son’s house on Friday and Saturday to watch the Mariner’s play (which was more about him owning an HDTV than seeing him), Sunday church, breakfast at McDonalds on Monday…you get the idea. Yep, that’s one jam-packed schedule.

Nathan’s only jobs have been “Grill Master” and “Dish Washer.” Well, those and “White Coffee Hunter” which he successfully completed a couple days ago at a local espresso stand in Belfair. The gal asked if we wanted a punch card. We should have said yes. Not that the caffeine makes a difference. The man can have a double shot and take a nap an hour later.

There are bigger plans for this coming week: a gaming conference with his buddies, Christmas in April with our kids, and a Mariner’s game at Safeco Field. Then I drive him back to SeaTac to say goodbye for several more months before his homecoming this summer. Not sure how well that will go.

People often say things like, “I don’t know how you do it. I never could.” My response is always the same. There are two things holding me together. First, this is the job for Nathan. This is the one to which all the others have pointed. This is the one God’s been preparing Nathan to take since he dedicated his life to ministry as a teen. This one. And second, my God is sufficient for all my needs. Not my wants, but my needs. I am surrounded by family—church family—who have loved and cared for me through these months. Men who checked my car before I left on the long drive from Colorado to Washington. Women to share lunches, dinners, and weekend activities to prevent loneliness from taking over. A family who has adopted me. And His dear presence in the middle of the night when missing my Nathan becomes unbearable.

Deployment is not easy. You get into a routine, yes. It gets better, yes. But it’s not a barrel of laughs. Re-deployment (the Army’s very creative word for the soldier’s coming back) will likely not be easy either. All those routines have to change. I have to re-learn to keep my mouth shut when Nathan is driving…without paying attention to the speed limit…or getting in the right lane to turn far enough in advance…or turning off the windshield wipers when the rain stops instead of waiting until they start making horrible squeally noises. Yeah.

But my God will still be sufficient for all my needs. I learned years ago that my husband is not my provider. God is. And while He may use Nathan primarily to fulfill that role, there are many other sets of hands and feet at His disposal.

May you find God sufficient for your needs today.

Until next time,
Becca