This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. - Psalm 118:24
This past Tuesday, we were celebrating around our house. My husband reached a major milestone in his career with the Navy - 15 years served - and my oldest son finally got his first loose tooth. I'm sure it's pretty obvious what the biggest cause of celebration was, but the loose tooth was certainly special in its own right.
I found myself thinking of all my husband's achieved throughout his career during the day, and I realized just how much we've celebrated his accomplishments over the last 15 years. Advancements in rank, medals and ribbons received, homecomings from long deployments, graduations, and so much more. And then, like so many other military wives I know, I started to compare my moments of celebration to his. Well, the list was pretty short.
You see, military wives have a habit of falling into the same trap that I found myself in on Tuesday. We try to compare our achievements with our husbands' in an attempt to some how measure up to them. There's no doubt that for most of us, what we've been able to accomplish during their time serving pales in comparison. Or does it?
Certainly, being a military wife means that our lives pretty much revolve around what our husbands are doing. We move. We cry. We write countless letters and emails. We move again. We pack care packages. We check the days off our calendars. We wait for phone calls. We welcome them home. We cry some more. We make new friends. We move again. We cry. We smile through the tears. And we do it all, over and over again.
I found myself thinking, Gees. The last 15 years have really just been about him. I wonder when I'll get to have some great moments of my own? Then, the words of Psalm 118:24 began ringing in my ears.
I couldn't help but realize what God was trying to show me. I have moments to rejoice in each and every day. And for my fellow military wives, so do you.
No matter how much I may feel that life revolves around my husband's career, I'm doing some pretty great things that should be celebrated too. Those moves I mentioned earlier? I planned them AND made sure our house was ready to be packed up. Those letters and emails? I spent countless hours preparing them and I KNOW my husband found joy in reading them. Those care packages? I found some creativity deep down in me and made each package a theme. He told me he looked forward to seeing what'd I'd come up with next. Those phone calls I waited for? I didn't wait for them at home. I kept living my life even with a cell phone by my side. Those new friends? I enjoyed spending time with them, and they brought me so much happiness. Those tears? They didn't show my weakness; they showed my strength.
But I've got more to celebrate than that. I've become a GOOD mom. I wake up early every morning and get my day started - no pajama days for this girl! I've made a strong name for myself in my teaching career. I make a mean pot of gumbo. I know how to get my youngest son to stop crying. I've taught my oldest son about God's amazing love. I am strong. All those things? All those wonderful things? I need to celebrate them more often.
Like the verse from the Psalm says, "This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
I challenge you to rejoice today, friends. Find those things you're accomplishing, no matter how small they may be, and celebrate your victories. And then, when your husband gets home, thank him for standing by YOUR side. You are the amazing woman you are today because of him AND his crazy career.
Cheers to that!
Until the next whisper,
Emily
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