“That’s fine that God may be calling you to do that…but He’s not calling me to do that.” These were my lovely, ahem, not-so-submissive words in response to when my husband, Glen, shared that he wanted to become a U.S. Army Chaplain. It was 2010, and he was a family pastor at a church in Seattle, WA. God had been tugging at this heart for quite some time, but secretly I hoped it would wear off. Now, I love my husband, but I was exceedingly fearful of what that would mean for our family. Would he be deployed all the time? Would my children not have a steady father around? How would I do it by myself? Fear can be so crippling. And yet, it can feel so real when you experience it. And then there are those preconceived expectations, like when you think your marriage or ministry should go a certain way and crushed when it doesn’t. “Wait a minute Lord…so we aren’t going to be serving at a church long term? We aren’t going to settle down and make roots?”
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy.” Psalm 103:8
Patience of God
Isn’t it comforting to know that our God, who knows every hair on our head, is compassionate and gracious? He could see my struggle in accepting my husband’s news and that I needed His help. I remember merely praying, “Lord help me to know Your ways.” Either God was going to change his heart, or He was going to change mine. All I needed to do was cast those fears upon Him and allow Him to take care of the rest. I honestly did not have control.After applying to the chaplaincy the first time, the Chaplain Corps denied him since they had already met their quota. I was sad for him, but a massive wave of relief washed over me!
Later that next year, we lived in Monterey, CA, where Glen was an assistant pastor at a small church. We were close to the U.S. Army Language Institute, Fort Ord, and the Navy Post Graduate School, which of course, was not a mistake by God. It was there that the Lord graciously allowed me to get to know various military families and have them in our home. Over time, I realized they were men and women like me who loved Jesus and desired to serve Him in the military. For myself, this was eye-opening. I hadn’t been exposed to military life growing up (except for my grandfather serving in the Second World War). Some of these families are still in contact with us today. Again, the kindness of our God! So when Glen applied the second time that year, my heart was much more at peace. He was accepted and started his training at Fort Jackson, SC, in the summer of 2012.
“It is a mercy to have a faithful friend that loves you entirely, to whom you may open your mind and communicate your affairs. And it is a mercy to have so near a friend to be a helper to your soul and to stir up in you the grace of God.” ~Richard Baxter
Fast forward eight years later, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Has it been hard? Yes. But has it been rewarding? Yes! Ladies, when God is calling your husband to something, He is most likely calling you too. And if you both disagree, cry out to God and PRAY. He is faithful to align your hearts together, or He may lead you both in an entirely different way. The important thing is to strive to stay united as you wait. God will make it clear in His time.
Work of Chaplaincy
Every so often, I get asked what Glen exactly does as a chaplain. Well, his greatest passions are for soldiers to know and love Jesus Christ. His work can range from post to post or if he is on deployment. Still, most of his weeks are comprised of meetings with other staff officers, counseling soldiers & their families, preaching at the chapel from time to time, providing oversight to various ministries on a post, and sometimes field training (i.e., for camping, getting dirty, and at times blowing up stuff). For myself, it’s opening our home for hospitality and sharing life on life with military wives, counseling/discipleship as needed. I also have a passion for prayer. At each post we move to, I usually have my radar on for women who desire to pray, and God always provides.
Whatever our calling, it is He who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill His purposes (Phil. 2:12b-13). We only need to be faithful and open to that work, no matter how big or small.
