Oh, my goodness. Man, do I have something to say today. If you have been reading here for a while, you know that my husband has deployed several times for long periods of time. Deployments are hard. I'm not sure that those who have not experienced it are able to truly understand how hard it really is and no a 2 week trip for business is in NO WAY similar.
Well, I'm not going to release all my feelings on here today because I don't think it would be beneficial but please let me say that if you know a military spouse whose husband/wife is deployed and they seem to have it all together and seem not to need anything.... well, they DO. They do need you to check on them. They do need you to spend time with them. They do need you to offer to mow the lawn. They do need help with meals if their kids are sick or injured. They are NOT okay! They need your love and concern. I know, they look like they have it all together but they DON'T! They are dying inside and they need more than ever to know that someone cares for them, that someone loves them.
Don't we all need that? Don't we all need to know that people care about us, love us? I was just talking to DH about this and I said that we, as a society, need to look outward more. We need to notice that that family has been rushing out of church and not visiting with anyone. We need to notice that someone hasn't been around in while. We need to notice when someone is pulling away and to reach out and show them love and concern. It's not really even that hard! A short note in the mail, a little Facebook note or email, a phone call, an invite for coffee, anything that says "Hey! I notice you and want you know I care about you!" Sometimes those that are closest to us, those that are right in our face are the very people who are needing this.
You know I talk about this kind of thing often on here, go back and look and you'll several posts like this over the years. Maybe this is my life long calling. Maybe this is the very thing I'm supposed to be doing, teaching, supporting, starting... I don't know, maybe.
Anyway, please start looking outward more. Please notice that military family that is struggling on the inside but not on the outside and reach out to them. We all need to be reaching out more everywhere. Me included.
Well, I'm not going to release all my feelings on here today because I don't think it would be beneficial but please let me say that if you know a military spouse whose husband/wife is deployed and they seem to have it all together and seem not to need anything.... well, they DO. They do need you to check on them. They do need you to spend time with them. They do need you to offer to mow the lawn. They do need help with meals if their kids are sick or injured. They are NOT okay! They need your love and concern. I know, they look like they have it all together but they DON'T! They are dying inside and they need more than ever to know that someone cares for them, that someone loves them.
Don't we all need that? Don't we all need to know that people care about us, love us? I was just talking to DH about this and I said that we, as a society, need to look outward more. We need to notice that that family has been rushing out of church and not visiting with anyone. We need to notice that someone hasn't been around in while. We need to notice when someone is pulling away and to reach out and show them love and concern. It's not really even that hard! A short note in the mail, a little Facebook note or email, a phone call, an invite for coffee, anything that says "Hey! I notice you and want you know I care about you!" Sometimes those that are closest to us, those that are right in our face are the very people who are needing this.
You know I talk about this kind of thing often on here, go back and look and you'll several posts like this over the years. Maybe this is my life long calling. Maybe this is the very thing I'm supposed to be doing, teaching, supporting, starting... I don't know, maybe.
Anyway, please start looking outward more. Please notice that military family that is struggling on the inside but not on the outside and reach out to them. We all need to be reaching out more everywhere. Me included.
Thank you for this post. God did give you a heart for this, Women's ministry maybe?
ReplyDeleteFunny you should say that!
ReplyDeleteLately, I've been reading here and there and this Women's Ministry Conference keeps coming up. I thought about seeing if I can win one of the scholarships to it but it's in NC and well, I'd be going by myself.
You probably don't know this about me but I hate doing things by myself and I especially HATE doing NEW things by myself and going to unfamilar places by myself is a huge no no!! I don't even like to go to new restaurants! CRAZY!!
After I read your comment, I told DH how this has been coming up and then how you just threw this BRICK at me and well... I don't know. He thinks I'm crazy. LOL
Interesting thought... now to see where it leads and how. I wish HE could just give me a road map!