On the trip out to visit him, I was very much anticipating our reuniting. It felt so good to be back together again, and the kids yelling, "Papa!" and running to him with warm hugs was every bit as emotional as I thought it would be. I was also amazed at the change I saw in Andrew, not just physically (yeah, he's a hottie!), but in confidence in being part of the military culture. He was throwing around all these acronyms like a pro, stopping and saluting during the trumpet playing retreat, and just overall carrying himself differently in his uniform. I could tell he had gained even more respect for the position and the job. It was exciting to see, but also a little overwhelming to enter, as I had not been through any of that same training. I barely knew kind of what he would be doing as a chaplain.
I had the incredibly opportunity to attend the Chief of Chaplains' Spouse's Seminar while in South Carolina to celebrate Andrew's graduation. It was a day and a half of speakers and the wives of distinguished and high ranking chaplain officials sharing their wisdom and stories. It was amazing to sit under their wisdom, ask questions, and soak in the military life. My big take aways were: 1. If God has called my spouse into chaplaincy, He has called our whole family and has a plan and purpose for each of us. And 2. I am not alone. I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with many other wives in the exact same situation I am. It felt so encouraging just to know I'm not alone. In our community, we have felt extremely supported and loved, but we are an anomaly and not the norm. Here, being away from Andrew for three months was small potatoes compared to some of the women experiencing multiple year or longer deployments. But they all made it. And they were here sharing tips and encouragement they learned along the way. It was incredible and I walked away with, for possibly the first time, an actual excitement to begin this new journey.
It was such an important, and I believe defining experience for our family as we begin the ministry God is calling us to. It has been a long process, but I believe God has been preparing us all along for this purpose. I think He also knew my heart wouldn't be able to take it if He didn't gently nudge me into it. He is so gracious and so gentle in dealing with my insecurity. But He has brought me so far in dealing with my anxiety, desire to control, and paralyzing fear. I couldn't even begin to think about being an Army Chaplain spouse apart from His grace and power working in my life.
So what next? One of the biggest questions or misconceptions people have had is what we do from here. Many people are confused about why we haven't moved or are surprised to see us back home. For now, Andrew is in the Army Reserve as a Chaplain Candidate until he finishes his Master of Divinity. The plan was that he would only have two semesters left of grad school, but with CCU's closing, he has been applying and is waiting to hear back from schools. Through some connections with a friend and divine intervention, there is a college he can attend online who is willing to accept all his credits, meaning he should still only have a year of school left. At that point, our plan had been to transition to active duty, be stationed somewhere and move as a family to begin a new career of ministry in the Army. However, with CCU's closing, Andrew lost his job as well. So, for now, we're seeking God and trusting whatever plan He has and wherever He takes us will be right for our family and the future Kingdom work we will be doing. This may mean entering back into the world of worship and church ministry. Possibly staying Reserve as a chaplain. Possibly moving. Maybe near family, maybe not. We honestly don't have a lot of "for sures" right now, but we are sure God has a good plan and is faithful. And we are sure we will obey when we hear clearly from Him. He's brought us this far, and He won't abandon us now.
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