We Battle Too

Excellent or Praiseworthy is posted on Monday and Thursday nights.

Editor’s Note: We are pleased and honored to introduce a new writer to Excellent or Praiseworthy—Mary Katharine Davenport. You can read more of Mary Katharine’s writings on her blog, FiveGirlsTheArmyAndMe.blogspot.com.

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. — Psalm 90:12

It is almost 4pm. I have about six minutes before nap-time is over. I should be elated that another day is quickly evading me. That’s something to get excited about, right? That means just one more day closer to my husband coming home, right? Right.

But you know the funny thing about deployment is that while I am so ready for it to be over, I am not willing to just let life go in the process. Life is too precious to just sit around and wait for it to pass . . . even if the waiting is for something as great as a soldier coming home from war.

I am so ready, yes, so ready to get this deployment over with. BUT, I want to make the most of our days here and be successful . . . accomplish things and be a good steward of our time while he is away. I want to fight my battles and end this deployment with wins, rather than losses.

My battles? Yes, while I don’t sleep in a tent on a cot that collapses in the middle when I sit on it to tie my boots, and while I don’t walk to work and to a cold shower in 3 degree temperatures (just to name a few “fun” current issues), I do have battles that I face on the home front. Battles that leave me drained and weary and frustrated many, many days.

Today I won a lot of those battles, but I feel so beat up by the combat that victory seems anything but victorious. Today was (and I know it’s far from over at this point) one of those days that “on paper” was victorious, but emotionally it was just so draining.

Today was “Doughnuts with Dad” for our daughter’s class.
Another daughter had her first orthodontist appointment today.
I called Veritas and had my first conversation for the High School Honors Program (homeschooling just got a lot more expensive!)
I still could not get my middle daughter to sweep the floor.
I forgot to eat breakfast and ate lunch standing up, again.
When the teacher told her class to not forget about “Doughnuts with Dad” tomorrow, my girl said, “Everyone has a Dad. But mine’s in Affastan.” Her teacher asked me “Is her Grandpa going to come?” As much as I tried, I couldn’t help but have tears roll down my cheeks.

When I sat down to check my email, there was one from my husband with the subject line “42.” When I opened it up, I found this:

Psalm 42

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Yes, today the battle was won here on the home front.

And while I am emotionally drained, I am reminded where my help comes from and in whom I should put my hope. I am drained, but I am thankful for my battles and am thankful for my soldier and I will praise my God always. I am thankful for a husband who always seems to know just what I need, and I am thankful that God puts me in situations that keep me close to Him.

I am thankful for our days . . . even when they are draining and even when they are spent with our family on opposite parts of the world, separated by war.

My hope is not in the end of this deployment, but in God.

To Him be the glory.

Questions to Share:

1. At the end of the day, can you declare victory over some of life’s battles? Share with each other the resolution of some struggles you have had.

2. How have you encouraged your spouse as this husband did with Scripture emailed to his wife?