You probably already heard the news with all of my Facebook activity! Dan was selected at the Chaplaincy board, commissioned and given orders. We are moving to Quantico Marine Corp Base in Quantico, Virginia, in 2 months.
Wow is about all I can say right now. We are so blessed for this change. Dan has worked very hard for a long time and has faced a lot of difficulties in trying to get here. He worked 40+ hours a week while going to Seminary and volunteering in ministry. Often his worked required him to travel which caused missed classes and deadlines. But, he persevered. God gave him the strength and ability to keep going!
We are a military family, at the roots. My dad served, Dan's dad served, many uncles and cousins have and continue to serve. We understand the military life, we have lived it. While we are very excited for this new adventure, I find myself a little anxious too.
Ten years ago, in April 2003, we loaded up our van with 4 kids (age 12, 9, 1.5 and 4 months) and drove from Washington State to Huntsville, Alabama. My husband had been selected to be a Warrant Officer in the Army. We were excited for the adventure. We would spend 6 months in Alabama while he attended school and then head off to Weisbaden Germany! We had so many plans and hopes and ideas for what we would do. While in Alabama, we learned we were expecting again. This baby would be born overseas. In November he finished school and off we went. We arrived in Germany and moved in to our housing. A month later he deployed to Iraq. I thought the hardest thing I would ever have to do would be to raise 4 children and birth a new baby alone in a foreign country while my husband proudly served with his unit in Iraq. Little did I know, much more would be asked of me.
About 8 weeks after we arrived, I learned that my baby had a rare brain malformation. There was a flurry of activity, I was admitted to the hospital for an indefinite amount of time, my husband was called back from Iraq. Sweet Miss Mollie was born and after only 33 days she went to heaven to be with Jesus. That time was so hard and yet so beautiful. God showed me His presence in so many ways. I was blessed. Her story is found here: http://molliechristina.blogspot.com/2011/03/when-life-was-turned-inside-out.html.
With broken hearts, we decided to come back to Washington State to heal. We were embraced by our friends and family and our church. God was right beside us. Four months after returning, my husband was diagnosed with brain cancer. We also learned we were expecting again. It was like getting sucker punched. Again, God was there and present in everything. For 2 years he bravely battled cancer; undergoing surgery, radiation and a lot of chemotherapy. He relearned to walk more than once. However, after 2 years, he won the ultimate battle and left us on this earth. I am fully confident that he heard the words, "Well done good and faithful servant." as he entered heaven that day and met our Savior Jesus Christ and embraced our baby girl.
Again, God was with me and the children. It wasn't easy but He filled in the gaps and carried us. Two years later I was blessed to meet a wonderful, Godly man. A year later we married. I knew from the beginning that he wanted to and was called to become a Navy Chaplain. I had to decide from the start if I could support that. Obviously the answer was Yes!
So now we are here, 10 years later, heading off for another adventure. I am excited and so blessed to be able to support my sweet husband in his calling. However, I am scared and anxious too. I have done the adventure and from human eyes it didn't work out so well! But I know that God has a plan. He never left my side and He will be there in this as well.
I don't really need to hear about how I need to have strong faith and how if or when I am more mature in my faith I won't doubt or be scared. I believe I have a strong faith. I have and still do trust God in all things. Yet, I am still human. I still fear at times until I turn it back to Him. What I need to hear, and what my children need to hear and what my sweet hubby needs to hear is "We are praying for you." and maybe throw in a "Congratulations!" We will have an adventure. We will follow God's plan for us. We will trust Him in all the unknown and all the changes.
With trembling fingers and a tear in my eye, I will stand by my husband, grasp his hand, and step out into this new adventure. I have no idea what will come but I put my trust fully in He who does, Jesus, my Lord and Savior.
Let the adventure begin!!
