Military Wife

Military Wife – How She Copes with Uncertainty
How can a military wife cope with uncertainty when her spouse is overseas?

Consider the helpful advice given by these military wives:

• Bonnie tries to make home life as normal as possible for their three children. She also leads a support group on the base. “I try to discourage spouses from watching too much news,” she said. “A little (news) in the morning and some at night to get recaps is all you need.”
  
  Having children in the house is another reason she minimizes time spent watching the news. “Those of us who have children old enough to understand the news have to be really careful of even having the news on in the background. The increased level of fighting has to happen and it absolutely scares me to death. But our soldiers are extremely well trained; know what they need to do and how to do it.”
  
  
• “We encourage a lot of activities in our group for our own sanity and that of our children,” Bonnie said. “We get together as much as possible, even if there is laundry or errands to do. The bottom line is that we all try and watch out for each other and help each other. Just being in the company of others who have the same anxieties and stresses is a great comfort.”
  
  
• Judy urges other military wives to stay busy. “I love to swim and the base pool is so convenient (walking distance) from our home. My friends and I take our children swimming almost every day in the summer. We also attend the base theater on the weekends. In the winter, we join a bowling league.” Get together with others to work on scrapbooks, exercise, e-mail, and garden. Take a class at a local college or learn a new skill. Look for volunteer opportunities.
  
  “I teach a Bible study to the military wives in my church. We enjoy a breakfast once a month along with this study. This is a great opportunity to reach out to other military wives and be a support to them, especially when their husbands are overseas.”
  
  
• Chris is learning new skills, especially the family jobs her husband did prior to deployment. “Right now, I’m learning how to budget our finances. I’m learning that the most important step to financial freedom is to tithe our gross income, pay our self by placing money in either a savings account or an envelope marked savings, and then pay others.”
  
  
• Missy urges military wives to stay in touch with their husbands as much as possible through e-mail, phone calls, Internet chat, digital pictures, letters, and care packages. Buy two copies of the same book and read it together. Both of you can journal and then exchange the journals occasionally. Be intentional about staying in contact as much as possible.

Military Wife – She Pays the Price for Freedom
Jill, another military wife, says, “I’m concerned about what our husbands will see and if they’ll come home changed.” But many husbands find that their wives have changed as well. These wives have become more independent, stronger, and maybe a little more stubborn. All wars are not fought by the military. Some are waged at home -- one day at a time.

Judy says, “My thoughts go back to the day my husband came home from the war after serving his country in Vietnam. As he got off the airplane, I ran to meet him with tears in my eyes and joy in my heart. He looked different; he was thinner and seemed quieter. Had he changed? Yes, he could never be the same person he was when he left. He had seen another way of life. He had been on a journey afflicted with sorrow.”

“The most important change is how we have grown together spiritually,” recounts Judy. “How did I cope while my husband was overseas? The power of prayer sustained both of us.”