What A Year

One year ago today, I did the hardest thing I have ever done. With tears streaming down my face, I kissed my husband goodbye, watched him into the recruitment center and together, we began this adventure into the great unknown. It feels like that day was a lifetime ago and yet my heart still races and my chest tightens when I think about it. I still can not believe that I had the strength to let me go.

I had God given peace about him joining the military long before my husband every brought it up to me. Its so crazy how God works. I am so grateful that He did because once my husband did bring the idea of joining up to me, things happened quickly. It was less than a month from the time we had our first serious conversation about it to the time that he left for basic.

We had no idea what the year would hold. No idea how difficult or terrifying it would be. No ideas how many goodbyes or tears would be shed. And we certainly had no idea that we would spend over a year apart but I am grateful that we did not. If God had revealed exactly how this year would play out, I think we would had said no. We would have let fear cripple and stop us from pursing an amazing adventure. I am thankful that God only revealed one step at a time. At times it felt overwhelming, but he never gave us more than we would handle.

With the exception of three weeks, (you can count that or not), today marks one year since we have resided together. If you had told me a year ago that we would spend over a year apart, I would have told you that there was no way we would survive and that it would ruin our marriage. That was my greatest fear and somehow God turned that fear into one of the greatest testimonies. A year apart and our marriage truly is stronger than it was before. Its hard to explain and I can hardly even wrap my head around it. A year that had potential to tear us apart, by the grace of God, brought us closer to each other and to Him.

I am not sure what this next year holds for us, but after last year, I am okay with that. But one thing I do know is that this next year will hold one of the sweetest and most wonderful “Welcome Home”s of our lives.