Learning to Live in a Military Town

Before moving to Whidbey Island I never really thought about the military. Sure, I appreciated them....sort of. And I knew they and their families were making a huge sacrifice to defend our nation...I guess.

Now I seem to constantly think of our military. Daily I thank God for them and pray for them and their families. It's so strange to go from one extreme to the other. The military now has specific names and faces that I associate with it. So many wonderful friends in various branches all over the country and the world. These aren't just nameless people anymore. They are my friends. People I have come to love and care so deeply for. Sometimes I'm ashamed at how indifferent I used to feel about the military. They did their thing and I did mine...right? Ugh...they deserve so much more respect than that! I have the deepest respect for the men and women in our military now and am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to live in a place that has revealed this new truth to me and given me a love for people I never even used to think about.

I recently ran across a song called "This Is My Son" by Cherryholmes. In it she compares her son fighting for his country to God giving Jesus to fight the battle over our sin. She sings: "This is my son, my only son. I give him up for a people who don't care that they're free at the cost of his life. I understand now You're sacrifice. You gave us yours and I give them mine. Lord keep him safe he is my only child please bring him back home. This is my son." They're our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, and friends. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty darn thankful for them all!!!

Check out the song at http://youtu.be/IUxFXmaJIgw

From Jerks to Jesus

I once heard a song where all it said was “ You’re a jerk! You’re a jerk! You’re a jerk!” over and over the line repeats. Oh how I wanted to sing that to someone yesterday. Horrible of me, I know.

Today I am more hurt than anything and somehow that always seems to feel worse than just being upset. I felt like I’d gone back about 5 or 6 years and I was questioning who I was, what I was doing with my life, and wondering if there wass anything about me that’s worthwhile or that could ever impact other people for Christ. Seriously? From one comment my mind goes all the way to that thought?? I don’t know if that shows the power of words of just makes me pathetic.

I know that I am a child of the King. I am precious and loved by my Savior and nothing else, no one else, can ever take that away from me. I find peace in that truth. I wish I could say that with the peace has come joy. Not yet. With the comment came the flooding of all the things I’ve been refusing to deal with. Difficult, stressful, emotional stuff that I have gotten away with not really addressing. Apparently one more thing on top of all the stuff I’ve been suppressing was enough to “break the dam” so to speak.

On the upside Easter is probably my favorite holiday. I love remembering and praising God for the sacrifice He made so that I could live and be freed from my sin. It’s overwhelming. It’s amazing. I love every moment of the weekend from the solemnity of Christ’s death to the celebration of His resurrection. What an honor and blessing it is for us as Christians to be able to spend time really focusing on His sacrifice and giving Him the praise that He is so deserving of.

So, all that written to ultimately say that life continues to throw curveballs which seem to smack me in the face most of the time, God takes those curveballs and uses them to teach me something new about Himself and who I am in Him, and I am looking forward to a Christ-centered weekend. (During which I anticipate excessive amounts of crying).

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”