I sat down to write my grocery list, never a fun task for me but a necessary one nonetheless. Trying to come up with different stuff to eat than what we ate last week, and be healthy (mostly), and some easy to fix for those busy nights, and…so many considerations.
Grocery lists can be a challenge, but also an amazing blessing. Weird, yes?
On this particular occasion, I was trying to think of new ideas and ended up taking a walk down memory lane.
We are a military family, and many of our friends are military families. God has crossed our path with some amazing folks. They have poured into us, challenged us, helped us, loved us, and sometimes they did all of this when they had only know us for a few days or weeks. Crazy.
All of those people…my thoughts started with food.
“Oooooh! Bulgogi for dinner!” – something I learned from my sweet Korean friend.
“Some dip would be great!” – maybe that kind from my preacher kid friend turned military wife. “Dessert! How about some strawberry rhubarb pie!” – I had never had rhubarb till I hung out with my friend from Pennsylvania. (I also had no idea how yummy whoopie pies were!)
“Hummus would be great with some veggies on this warm night.” – my friend learned it on one of their times they were stationed in Turkey…very cool (and yummy!) And then there’s that hamburger, green bean, potato stuff that the kids love from my friend the military brat, then amazing military spouse.
I could go on and on about stuff that lives in my pantry these days because of those amazing military spouses. Things I would never have considered or even heard about had it not been for them. They are amazing women far from where they grew up, but not far from home because they have learned to make a home anywhere God has planted them. They raise children, own home-based businesses or even work outside their home, become handymen(women) by necessity, learn to acclimate to many cultures and climates from Alaska to China and everywhere in between, clean up very nicely for balls, and love.
They love their husbands, their children, their friends who become family, and many that have crossed my path love Jesus.
This Friday, May 9, we celebrate Military Spouse Appreciation Day.
This day is certainly not one military spouses created. Most of the spouses I know would rather not be recognized, but this day gives us a chance to remember those who have made a difference in our lives as we have walked this military life. These women and men – who have learned a whole different language (made up mostly of acronyms), become masters at moving, adjust gracefully (most of the time ;)) from single parent when spouse is deployed to dual parent household, and come to love the places they are planted as well as those with whom they are planted – these women and men are my friends, many of whom become just like family.
They challenge me, inspire me, and keep me on track. They make me laugh, smile and cry, sometimes all at the same time. They teach me and put up with me. They become friends, some for a season, many for life. We come to love them so much that we pray they retire in a really cool place because we plan to visit them regardless.
So in celebration of Military Spouse Appreciation Day, I would love for you to share if you have a military spouse that has been a blessing to you or if there are certain attributes or gifts many of them have shared with you. If you are not military or do not know a military spouse, we would love for you to share about others who have impacted you and how.
For all of us – we need to make sure and let these people know what a blessing they are to us and to our families. This week is as good as any to tell them!
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