Do The Next Thing

One of the hardest things I’ve ever done is raise my children in the Navy world. It is a special world and different from anything I’ve ever known. The military world comes with adventure and sacrifice. We meet the most wonderful people and then say goodbye. This makes it hard to keep friendships. In some cases we never see our friends again.

Raising children in this world is not an easy task. Depending on the job, our husbands come in and out of our lives often. One year I calculated that my husband was gone at 40% of the year. This was minimal compared to the 80% other families went through.

The hardest station I went through was when my children were 5,3, & 1. My husband was gone much of the year and my family was about 2 hours away. Help was minimal. Nevertheless, I kept going. I kept doing my duties. It was not easy but it was good.

During this time, I kept the examples of strong women in my heart:

1. My mom who never stayed home with three small children and always did her duties without complaining.
2. A fellow Navy wife who told me “we do our job quietly and with dignity. We do not complain.”
3. Elisabeth Elliot who taught me to Do the Next Thing.

Our responsibilities, hardships, and joys are all wrapped together. It is as Abbie Halberstadt says, “hard is not the same thing as bad.” During these hard times I repeat to myself,

I am a child of God.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
I ought to trust in the Lord and obey His commands.
I will do what is good and right even it is hard.

I learned that when my husband is away it was best to read my Bible, journal, pray, and sing hymns. I fill my home with hymns and listen to podcasts from wise mothers. I read their books and keep their wise words in my heart. I do mother specific devotionals to help me slow to anger. I pray a prayer by Emily Marrow,

“Holy God, I surrender this worry to you. Your will be done over this.”

Mothering isn’t easy, but it is beautiful. It is a constant tension between hard and good. But no matter what season we are in, we must keep our eyes on the Lord and Do The Next Thing.

May this post be a blessing to you.