Searching for Purpose

One saying that always gives me comfort while contemplating my husband's profession is: "The safest place to be is the center of God's will." Now, I realize that this doesn't guarantee complete protection from injury, sorrow or difficulty. Some people might see it that way, but that isn't my view of God. I don't believe He's promised us a life free from heartache.

The truth I find in that saying is that if I'm being obedient, listening to and following God's will for my life, then He will take care of the rest. I can only do my part by listening to where He wants me to be and getting there. I am comforted by the fact that Steve has strongly felt the call to be a part of the military; if that is where God wants him, then that's where I want him to be, also. So even though he has a difficult mission, I feel secure knowing that God is the One who has chosen it for him.

Then there's me. I've found it easy over the past year and a half to identify myself by my husband's mission. I'm an army wife, the support on the home front. But as I'm going over my goals for 2010, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm treating my role as an army wife as God's plan for my life or just as the situation I'm currently in.

I do feel called to be an army wife.While my role isn't the dangerous one, I still need to consider it a serious calling. It may be a behind-the-scenes role, but I've been charged with filling it. In a lot of ways, I believe it's more difficult to be the one left at home, waiting for news from the front lines--in both spiritual and physical battles. Sometimes I wish I were the one out there fighting in the trenches--it's so alluring to be the one off on the action-filled adventure, in spite of (or maybe because of) the danger.

But God needs people in both positions. He needs men and women willing to answer the call to wade into the fray, and those who stay and keep the home fires burning. The latter may not have all the glory or excitement of the front lines, but it's just as necessary. If no one was waiting at home, what would we be fighting for?