My purpose as a wife during deployment

"What are my purposes during this deployment?"

 and 

"What does thriving, not just surviving even look like?"

These are questions that have been spinning through my mind over the past two weeks and I feel like God is beginning to give me some insight about this. I def do not have this figured out... I just simply feel as if my head is not spinning quite as out of control as it was right after Trevor left and I am able to focus more. I feel like the primary focus of this deployment is to love and support my husband while he serves our country well. As a husband, Trevor needs to feel confident that he has someone at home who respects what he's doing, supports what he's doing, and prays for him while he does it. 

Aside from supporting my husband during his deployment, does God call me to a specific purpose during our time apart? This is what I feel like He has been convicting me of the most. My short answer is YES. I think that God has presented me with an amazing opportunity to deepen my relationship with the Him individually while Trevor is away, just as Trevor has been given the same opportunity. 

I believe He has also provided me with a chance to serve other women at Fort Hood during this time. Every military wife knows that time is precious when our husbands are home, so we don't always feel like we have a ton of extra time to give outside of our family. Unfortunately that's not necessarily true, but that could be a whole new blog! The point is, I have so much time on my hands right now... My husband isn't there for me to rush home to, I don't have someone to cook for/with every night (other than my amazing roomie!!), and almost every weekend is available. So why not be spending time with other women during this time? Why not bring a friend a meal after she's had a baby? Why not just go hang out with a friend and her three kiddos since it is more difficult for her to get out of the house?

This is what I'm realizing. Deployment is hard...Yes! The week Trevor left was the worst week I've had in the last 3 years, however, deployment is not a tragedy. Deployment is a loss...But not a tragedy. When Trevor left, I definitely felt a loss. I grieved the loss of my husband as I prepared for him to be gone the next 6-7 months and it was hard. I cried, a lot. In saying that, I have friends who are going through tragedies. Real tragedies. Tragedies that are strengthening them in amazing ways. Two of my closest friends at Fort Hood just had to say goodbye to their daughters who only lived hours on the day they were born. Both of these women are able to see that even though their daughters lives were short here on this Earth, God has a mighty and perfect purpose for their life and story. I truly believe that God is calling me to be intentional with my time and use it wisely. We have been given an amazing opportunity as military wives to take our extra time and bless someone else. 


I miss my husband every day and would never have asked for this deployment, but God put us at Fort Hood Texas and sent my husband to Afghanistan for a reason larger than my finite mind can understand. I also know that one of the purposes behind this deployment is to learn how to of bless others. This is my prayer...That I will be able to grieve the loss of my husband for the next 6-7 months but also realize that him leaving is not a tragedy and focus on what I feel like God is calling me to do here on the home front.