Thankful for the Navy?

So often it is the storms of life that teach us the greatest lessons. The Navy has provided us with some of our greatest trials in the past years, but God has used this institution to give us some of our greatest blessings. (Please realize that throughout the post I recognize the US Navy as the path that God chose to use to work in our lives)

Without the Navy - there would be no Chris and Sandra. It was the Navy that led Chris to South Carolina where he saw the plight of lost men headed to Hell without Christ. Through this realization, he surrendered his own life to God's will and accepted Him as Savior. When he arrived in NY with his new faith, his search for a church brought him to Latham where I was teaching. Not coincidence, but the hand of God.

The Navy has taught us to rely on God in a new way. While many get complacent because of the steady paycheck and the "perks" of military life, the separations have shown us how often we seek man for help before turning to God. When our closest human companion is not just a phone call away or in the next room, we run to the One we should have called out to first.

The Navy has taught us to appreciate our marital relationship. It is sad to hear men and women around us speak ill of their spouse. It is said that "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" and perhaps it is true. I am so thankful for the hundreds of letters that have been written that force us to put a voice to our feelings. There is not a day when I don't read a reason why my husband loves me. Not every married couple remembers to state what may seem obvious.

The Navy has provided the means to head to college in the spring. Many people finish college with extreme debt (not a good thing when heading into the ministry). God has provided for 4 years of school bills within the 5 years since we felt the calling to head to Bible school.

The Navy has brought us to the Seattle area and shown us the need for church planting and strong churches even in large cities. We never would have imagined how hard it would be to find a fundamental church in such a heavily populated area.

The Navy has provided Chris with a unique mission field. There are very few places where you are confined with the people you desire to reach for 6-7 months on end. So many times the stress of deployments and the unique difficulties of military life provide the sailors with questions that are a perfect spring board into the salvation message. It has also provided a testing zone - Can you imagine your testimony being under 24 hour surveilance by those you are witnessing to?

The Navy has shown me how to "Be still." Without the busy-ness of teaching, the immediate call of housework, and the closeness of family and friends, there is plenty of time to be still. It is through these times that I can hear Him speak the loudest.

The Navy has "shown us the world." Through the different port calls that Chris has experienced, we realize what a blessing it is to live in America. Through all its faults it is still the greatest nation in the world. Though our liberties are threatened each day, we still have freedoms that few other countries enjoy. I don't think that I will ever again view the "Patriotic Holidays" without realizing that someone is sacrificing their life, their time, their family for my freedoms.

The Navy has shown us the need to reach out. Without family or a large church family and with many deployments over the holidays, we have spent many holidays alone. I imagine that I realized this in college as well, but there are many "family" holidays when individuals need families to be with. It is so easy to include 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 more in our celebrations when we have so much to share - we just have to remember to do it.

The Navy has provided a growing time. The Navy contract is binding and has held us for the past 5 years when we would have wished to head right to Bible school. These days of waiting have provided much time to learn and grow and hopefully to be more ready to absorb what is waiting for us at school. We will have many more practical questions than we might have without these years and experiences.

The Navy has prepared us for college. So often I listen to couples who talk about the difficult days of married life during school. They most disliked the long times apart because of classes and work. I think that in this area even one hour together each day will seem like a treasure compared to DEPLOYMENT!

So I guess I write this to remind myself to look through the clouds, to look at the right side of the cross stitch, to view what God is doing for me and not to me.