I’m sharing what the Lord has taught me about growing in godliness and pushing past anxiety despite the hardships we face at Planting Roots: Strength to Thrive in Military Life this week. Whether you are military or not, I know you’ll be able to relate to the struggle to trust God and overcome worry when I received bad news.
Growing in Godliness
The phone rang in the deep hours of the night, jarring me from sleep. I worried it was bad news about my husband who had recently deployed.
It turned out to be my mom. She forgot about the time difference after our recent move to Okinawa, Japan. Thinking she just wanted to catch up, I was unprepared for the reason she called.
“I have stage four lung cancer” are words I never wanted to hear but will never forget.
Instantly my thoughts scrambled into planning mode. How bad is it? How to get home? Who can watch the kids? There are not simple solutions for military families living overseas.
Lord, why would you move us across the globe only to deploy my husband at the same time my mom needs help?
Anxiety ramped up hard bringing a level of resentment and distrust I hadn’t experienced in my faith life before.
Trusting God can be hard, especially in stressful transitions, uncertain times, or long deployments in dangerous places. These are just a few of the circumstances that ignite stress, worry, and dissatisfaction for military members and their families.
I wish I could say that I’ve mastered the art of godliness after twenty-four years of military life. The truth is I struggle with discontent and I wrestle with worry, but I’m learning that godly choices change how I navigate difficult days.
There are two directions we can turn in challenging times—toward God or toward some other source of strength and comfort. [tweetthis]Turning to God empowers us to grow in faith.[/tweetthis]
Far from the place I wanted to be, it was easy to allow my emotions to shape my perspective. I prayed complaints and fears like these:
- You are in control, but my mom is dying of cancer. What’s going to happen?
- Your word says you work all things together for good, but this situation is really bad. How is this going to work out?
- You care about my children, but they are already struggling with this move. Why this? Why now?
I’m not saying it was wrong to ask God my questions. My questions were honest and real, but I allowed my emotions to deflate my faith.
Interested in more resources created by military women for military women? I have the honor of leading the publishing team at Planting Roots. This is what keeps my user-busy when I’m not speaking or writing my own content.
We’ve just launched our fifth book, Growing Together: Strength to Persevere in Military Life, a six-week Bible study based on the book of Hebrews. Do you know someone whom might be encouraged by this study? If so, please share this great new resource!
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Linking with these blogging communities: #InspireMeMonday
So glad you're here. I help busy women—gals like you— build healthy habits for living well with biblical wisdom and practical steps to deepen your faith, increase your hope, and thrive in your purpose.
It really is so important to trust God especially when faced with crisis situations. God has been so faithful to remind me of His love and care through my daily reading of the Psalms and in relationships with friends. Facing the loss of our son last Nov was the hardest trial I have ever had, but God was and is still faithful to give me hope and strength. Blessings to you, Ginger! I’m your neighbor at #InspireMeMonday
Gayl, thanks so much for sharing how God has brought you through such devastating circumstances! My heart and prayers are with you as you continue to navigate life in light of your son’s death. May God continue to display His comfort and strength to you!
Thank you for this. The Holy But! That is a great way to put it. It’s true that whatever comes after the but is what I focus on. Perspective is everything and I pray that my first thoughts and words are centered on God.
Hi Mary! Great to see you here in this space. I love simple things that are easy to remember–they are so practical. The Holy But has stuck with me and that makes it so much easier to practice focusing on what God says is true! Blessings to you!