Hope in Hard PlacesSample

Navigating Loneliness in Military Life

Loneliness has been a steadfast companion on my journey as a military wife.

Sometimes you may feel alone too...

My struggle with loneliness intensified after a PCS move. Adjusting to a new duty station never came easy. Despite the anticipation of fresh adventures, I resisted change. I often daydreamed of having a resume for this, akin to someone new to the job market. I could hand it out to neighbors, instantly showcasing my potential as a great friend. I could take it to organizations I was interested in, proving the benefits I could bring without hesitating to undertake menial tasks.

One particularly lonely period followed an assignment to Korea. Six weeks into our stay, my boys were making friends, and my husband was immersed in his job. I had volunteered for several organizations, taking positive steps to make Korea feel like home, yet the sense of being lost and lonely persisted. We had left behind close-knit friends and lived within a few hours' drive of our families.

But God will provide

The departure was difficult, and the disappointment ran deep. During one challenging day, I volunteered at a gift shop run by the Wives Club. Immersed in the daily tasks of opening, unpacking, and packing boxes and assisting customers, I felt the need to touch the anniversary ring my husband had given me a few months prior. As I ran my thumb over it, I jerked my hand up, realizing one of the diamonds was missing.

Frantically retracing my steps, the stone was nowhere to be found. The reality that it might be lost forever crushed me. Returning home, I asked my sons to pray with me for its possible recovery. I counted the change in my purse while preparing to take a taxi to the commissary. There, among the coins, the beautiful little diamond sparkled at me. It could have fallen anywhere, but fate led it to the safest place—my protected snapped-closed change purse.

Hope in the hard places

That day, the Lord challenged me to trust him with my loneliness. Like that diamond, I felt misplaced and lost. Eventually, I would be set in the setting he prepared for me. Until then, he knew where I was – safe, protected, and sheltered in his loving hands.

Adapted from a Planting Roots Article by Brenda Pace.