The Challenge: Checking in.

Well, I feel a little bit like a cheater at this. Since my husband is so far away and we only talk a couple of times a week, I have many less chances to screw this up. And believe me, I'm sure I would. I know this challenge would be so much more difficult for me if he were here. Absence really does make this heart grow fonder. I also learned very early in this that I had to be really intentional. One time we both got really flippant (a bad habit we have) during a phone call and we hung up on a bad note. The instant we did it, my heart sank. I wanted to take it back so badly. I kept thinking, "what if this were the last time I talked to him...do I really want those to be our last words to each other?" The answer: a resounding NO. That got me thinking. If he weren't 8000 miles away, and I could call him back whenever I felt like it, would I have even regretted doing it? The answer: Probably not. I don't think I would have even thought twice about my crummy attitude. I hope that when this time in our marriage is over that I can keep that feeling fresh in my mind. When the old temptations flare up, that I will be aware that there is a better way. I hope I still treat every conversation like it could be our last.
Communication has always been a difficult spot in our marriage. We both had crummy models of what healthy marriage communication looked like. So, we can easily resort to old habits and quickly do damage. This deployment has really made us implement those healthy communication skills that we have been working on over the course of our marriage. I pray that we hold these lessons we are learning near to our hearts, that they will grow and change our marriage and make it stronger as the years go on.

I will be continuing with all of my goals from the previous weeks.

I would like to ask that you join me in prayer for the many families of deployed soldiers. It is a hard road and many marriages suffer along the way. I pray that each and every soldier and their families would come to know the Lord through this experience and that their marriages would be blessed because of it.

Lord be with each of us this week as we continue to honor You as we honor our husbands. Keep these goals at the forefront of our minds. Help me to lift up my husband each and every day to your throne. Thank you Lord for your love and sacrifice. And thank you for the freedom that a life following Christ brings. In Jesus Name.

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