Back to life, back to reality

I feel like suggesting a new addition to the Chinese Calendar. Instead of the year of the dog or the goat, how about the year of sickness? Well, at least that's what it's been like at our house since Chaplain deployed. Even now I am nursing (in the RN sense) a boy whom I believe may have the flu (wish I'd made him get that vaccine NOW). Not that my kids were pictures of health before hubby left, but the volume of illnesses has definitely increased since then. We were blessed that the Lord gave us an illness-free R&R...Oh yeah, except for a raging ear infection in our son's right ear :) I have been through the gamut of emotions over this sickness thing. And with just over 4 months to go in this deployment, I have come to settle on this emotion: acceptance. I am a clean freak -- I LOVE a clean house. So my kids' illnesses are not due to my lack of housekeeping skills. My children do not have any major medical diagnoses like heart disease or diabetes that could explain their frequent illnesses. So what is happening here is out of my control. They are my number one ministry priority this deployment. I have been blessed by God to have other ministry outlets these past 7 months, including piano and a ladies Bible study. But much of my hands on "work" has been caring for them. I mention this in my blog not to complain, but to report that sick kids during deployment seems to be a VERY common thing for the spouse left behind. Is it REALLY that kids are sicker with a parent gone, or is it just that the load of caregiving seems overly heavy for one parent? Or perhaps these kids were destined to be sick like this with or without Daddy/Mommy at home? I don't know for sure. Many of my friends have experienced the same or similar situations as ours. My explanation of it stems from a sense that Satan doubles and triples his attacks on families who are serving God faithfully (whether Chaplain or not). What better opportunity would he have to tear apart a family for good than when they are geographically apart, each struggling in their own way? The following is an excerpt from an article in our local paper, The Fayetteville Observer, published today. It is SO good at expressing the thoughts in my heart regarding being mom to a boy-son. I just had to share :) Home Front: As little boys grow, so do mom's fears by Sonya Sparks Murdock When you are a mom of two little boys, certain things are inevitable, such as scraped knees and pockets full of dirt. Boys catch frogs and pull tails off lizards; it's just what they do. They burp their ABCs at the dinner table - the louder, the better. Boys collect rocks and give them scientific names, like "fossilized dinosaur poop." We mothers of the male species get nervous when our homes are quiet, a sure sign that mischief is imminent. In my house of boys, the cushions are never on the sofa, but on the floor instead, where they serve as forts and castle walls. Likewise for the pretty pillows that I bought to match the sofa; apparently, the boys took the term "throw pillows" literally. In fact, if you are a woman whose living room does not look like a war zone, then you are not a woman whose children are of the male gender. Because, in a house with boys, the living room floor is always strewn with dismembered action figures and random plastic body parts. Poor Darth Vader doesn't stand a chance against the Force that is known as Boy. It must be genetic instinct for boys to turn ordinary household items into weapons of destruction. Sticks become guns; long sticks make perfect light sabers. That innocent TV remote secretly emits high-powered shrink rays. Even the dinner table becomes a battlefield for sword fights with butter knives. Lure of a uniform After extensive research (and by research I mean comparing notes with other moms at the playground) I have come to this finding: All boys play "war." My boys were destined to pretend to be soldiers, emulating their greatest hero, their dad (cont.) Unless you have one (a boy), you won't understand. Once you do, you'll never forget!! My husband is back with his guys, ministering, and feels he is exactly where he needs to be doing what he was called to do. The kids and I are back to our "routine" (a loose sense of the word needs to be applied here), exactly where we need to be doing what He has called us to do. For now...On the distant horizon is reunion. And already it smells sweet. For those of you doin' this thang ;) take heart. God is doing something mighty. For those of you considering this life, prayerfully seek him -- and then JUMP IN! Be sure to bring your tissues and Tylenol! :)