Dear Military Spouse

Dear Military Spouse,

This is the day in our nation that we take to remember the ultimate sacrifices given by those who serve our country in the military. Today is a day of remembrance and gratitude. As I praise God for the sacrifices made for our country, my thoughts and heart turn to you.

This weekend has been filled with luxuries for my family and I. We enjoyed a birthday party where we watched whatever movie we desired, praised God in a house of worship that we chose without fear of persecution, and read from a religious text that praises those who would willingly lay down their lives for their brothers. All at the expense of those who have served our country. I thank God for your spouse for they have given me much more than they receive in return. More than they will ever know. But let me turn to you for just a moment.

I know you likely have no desire for a “thank you”. You chose your lifestyle and your spouse chose their career and it is just the duty to which you both have committed yourself. You desire no praise or glory. But I could not live with myself if I did not say something, if I did not offer some small gesture of the gratitude with which my heart is filled when I think of you. Of the long nights you endured wondering if your spouse would ever walk through your front door again or if you’d find two other service members silently pounding on your door. Of the times you watched as your friends were handed a folded flag while your insides shouted, “Not again!”

So to you Military Spouse, thank you. Thank you for the way you stand guard over your soldier’s home while they defend our country. Thank you for being their anchor as they keep our country afloat. Thank you for being a strong tower of refuge as they come home from another war-torn country. For being the shoulder the soldier leans on that protects my family day-in and day-out. Thank you for loving our country enough to be strong when you feel you have no strength left. For loving faithfully when our country seems to have lost all respect for what your spouse does.

Thank you for those months and maybe even years that you’ve been a “single” parent, sought to foster a relationship between your children and your spouse, and slept alone at night. Thank you for those times spent awaiting your soldier’s return only to find that they’re still caught up in what happened while they were gone. Thank you for supporting the brotherhood that keeps their unit strong even when it interferes with your own relationship with them. Thank you for dealing with the brokenness your soldier will experience time and again, long after their service is done. And thank you for expecting nothing in return.

Thank you for teaching me what it means to die to self everyday. Thank you for teaching me about love that crosses and is deeper than oceans. Thank you for reminding me of the love Christ has for me and the faithfulness he shows me.

With all my heart, thank you. Happy Memorial Day to you and yours.

Sincerely,

Travis