Sunday, May 25, 2008

After Deployment

I know I must not be alone when trying to stay strong, AFTER a deployment. Many people think your "problems" go away after the homecoming of your soldier. While, it feels good to have your man home... many experience a re-adjustment phase.

Some will discover their soldier has PTSD or TBI. Some will have to get to know their military man again, as 15 months is a long time to be seperated.

Looking at some of my friends who were in my husbands unit, I have seen at least 2 seperations and a divorce. It has only been 7 months since the men have been home. The men in my husbands old unit are already prepairing to go back to war. They have training, JRTC and off they go again...

In the middle of war time, deployments are a cycle that military families have to deal with.

In cases like ours, we have physical and mental issues to deal with.

Tomorrow is memorial day. It's hard for me to think that people are actually having fun on this day. It has not been that long for my husband and I since we lost many friends... to me, Memorial Day should be used to remember the sacrifices our soldiers and their families make.

When I am just plain "tired" here are some verses that help me to stay strong:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

Seek the Lord and his strength;seek his presence continually!
Psalm 105:4

Have you not known? Have you not heard?The Lord is the everlasting God,the Creator of the ends of the earth.He does not faint or grow weary;his understanding is unsearchable.He gives power to the faint,and to him who has no might he increases strength.Even youths shall faint and be weary,and young men shall fall exhausted;but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;they shall mount up with wings like eagles;they shall run and not be weary;they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31

I am just human, like everyone else - and sometimes even in reading the verses I feel confused and sad. Sad that things are not the same with my husband as before he left for the war, and also knowing that things will never be the same as before the war.

I remember my husband said to me after learning about his head injury is, "People change..."

This is true, one thing as wives we can do is remember that Christ is never changing.

Just know, you are not in this alone. We are all in this together.