"It's what I'm here for...to nurture the living, care for the wounded and honor the dead!" said my husband, as I told him it was a beautiful day and I wished he was home. He was waiting on the Honor Guard to arrive and had a few minutes to spare. It was his first military funeral.
Last night he handed me his notes. He wanted to see what I thought. Right then and there I knew I couldn't attend this funeral with him. I'm one of those people who could be hired out as a mourner. I didn't have to know this man or the family he left behind to cry. I was crying just reading what he would say to them!
My emotions got the best of me; not only because we were experiencing death, though for us it was someone we didn't know, but more so because I saw more of the heart of this man I love so dearly. The words penned on that page revealed his heart. He loves Soldiers...active, inactive, retired - it doesn't matter. He loves people. He loves the military. He loves being a Chaplain. And, most importantly, he loves to share the good news of Jesus Christ and the hope we have in Him.
As I watched him put on his uniform this morning, I thought about the man God put in my life and how horrible it would feel to lose him. I couldn't stay there in my mind long as it would bring me to tears yet again. I straightened his tie and his cross on his uniform and told him I would be praying for him. Once he left I thought about what it means for him to be in this role. It can't be easy, yet he's willing and honored to be in it.
1 comment:
Hi Laura,
I found your blog a week or so ago while searching for military chaplains or chaplains wives. My husband is an ensign in the Navy on his way to becoming a chaplain while he finishes up his M.Div. I am trying to embrace in my mind what this journey will be like. I appreciate your words and honesty.
My sympathies to those families and my prayers for stength and comfort for your husband.
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