There are a lot of things I did wrong during our son’s deployments. But I did do ONE thing right. I kept the lines of communication open with my support system. It wasn’t a conscious decision, more like an act of desperation because I’m an introvert. Normally, my natural inclination when I’m stressed is to retreat. But truthfully, there’s nothing normal about life when a loved one is deployed.
My thought process behind reaching out was simple. I wanted as many people as possible praying for my son. I knew he needed the protection of prayer, and the best way to get it was to reach out and ask for it.
A wonderful thing happened in that process.
The people I asked to pray for my son, also prayed for me. They called me for updates on our son, and in the course of the conversation, they asked me how I was doing. They became my safety net. I could voice my fears and when I brought them out into the light, they became less scary.
I learned a valuable lesson during those months and years. When life gets hard, God already has people around us to help—if we’ll only reach out to them. It’s taken growth to move beyond my introvert tendencies, but it’s been well worth it.
