Four Kids? Husband Deployed? How Do You Do It?

“Four kids? Husband deployed? I don’t know how you do it, ” they say.

“All by the grace of God,” I say, and then it’s usually on to another small talk subject.

But what I REALLY want to say is, “All by the grace of God. His mercies are new every morning. He provides strength and stamina, and peace of mind every single day, all day. He has helped me keep an eternal perspective during this time. He has placed us in a church home where I get to hear about my acceptance by God because of Christ every Sunday, in spite of my parenting failures throughout the week in my husband’s absence. He moves in the hearts of others to use their eyes and ears to search out ways to help, and their hands and feet to act swiftly to meet our every need: He gave me my mom, my in-laws, my family and friends back in Moore, my friends who have become family here in Owasso, even my own kids who have all been an extension of God’s love to me. Do you know that someone from Trinity Presbyterian Church in Owasso has brought us a meal every Monday since the week Brad left? Do you have any idea the difference it has made to have one meal a week that I don’t have to think about? My mom came up for several days at a time and loved on my kids and cleaned the heck out of my house. My mom-in-law spent a good amount of time here loving on the kids to give me a break to run errands alone, go shopping, have lunch with a friend, whatever.  My father-in-law and other mom-in-law have a way of speaking encouragement into my life at the perfect time and in the simplest ways and make themselves readily available to relieve me in any way, always eager to spend time with the kids and I. My brother-in-law came in on a weekly basis to mow and make sure the boys get adequate guy time and wrestling time while Daddy’s gone. Can you guess how many folks have told us they are praying for us in Jesus’ name? Do you know that so many family and friends came over to keep me company that I often woke up of a morning, having to remind myself who was sleeping where? The supply of offers for babysitting, rides to and from school and activities, and help in any way, has overwhelmingly exceeded the demand. So, how do I do it? By the grace of God, my friend. His mercies are new every morning.”

But brief encounters don’t lend themselves to lengthy acknowledgements, so “All by the grace of God,” I usually say… and leave it at that.