Y is for You Need to Hear This!

After having a week to settle into the news, as best as one can, of my husband's deployment there has been time to process and think about a lot of things. A few I have already shared with some of you privately, but many I feel the need to say to you as a mass! ;)  After this, we are moving on!  Well, mostly! ;)

Just because I am going through something big does not make what you are going through small.  THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO JUST OUR FAMILY!  Please hear me say this...

I know the human tendency is for us not to want to share our own hard day with a friend when we know they are struggling too.  Our "stuff" just seems to pale in comparison.  Please don't do that.  We all have bad days, and we all need to be able to share with friends.  I used to tell people, it doesn't matter if your husband is gone one day, one weekend, one month, or one year, when YOU are in the middle of it it stinks! Let's don't play the comparison game and please do not feel like you cannot have a bad day just because I am having a bad day.

Please do not be too proud of us!  Seriously.  Some days we will do great (yay us!) and other days we will fail miserably and sometimes publicly.  The pressure to live up to peoples' expectations is a lot of pressure. If you put us on a pedestal, we will all be disappointed when we fall off.  It will happen!

Just because we have done this before does not make it any less painful and scary.  Just have to get that out there.  Yes, this is the third time we have done this.  (one other time for a year and once for 7 months)  As I told my husband, sometimes the fear of the known is actually worse than the fear of the unknown.  'nuff said!

I know it is easy to slip into a conversation about people you know who are going though or who have gone through similar situations.  Unless they have happy endings, please do not share.  I do not want to get into a "who has it worse" conversation, nor hear of all the people who did not make it home.

We are not the only ones going through a hard situation.  All it takes is to step outside your home to see that.  There are people suffering, lonely, scared, and hurting at every corner.  There are people, some of our friends included, that are navigating some pretty hard stuff!  Reach out to those around you and make a difference in their day.

I live in the best community!  I think I have told you that before.  We have people by our sides daily that love us and are taking care of us.  They have won our hearts and we will forever be grateful.

YOUR PRAYERS MATTER!  Really, they do.  Every time I am tempted to sink into fear or despair I remind myself that there are friends all over this world that have committed to pray for us.  Not just say they will, but WILL!  If you are one of those people, thank you.  You are appreciated far more than you will ever know!

God is still in control!  I said it last week, but it remains the same.  And I am reminding myself of it daily.  I pray you are too!

Blessings,

"Trust in The Lord forever, for The Lord, The Lord himself, is the Rock eternal." Isaiah 2:4