“How Did You Prepare?”

“And how have you prepared you and your kids for this deployment?”  I thought for a few seconds.  “Well, we just moved here so we spent a lot of time looking for a solid church that could support us when my husband deployed.”  The cameraman nodded his head.  “My husband is the chaplain so deployments are really the times that he can do his best work encouraging all the sailors.”  Again, more nods and smiles from the cameraman, “I saw you and your kids having fun on the pier as you were waiting, how do help them through this time without their dad?” I smiled, “I couldn’t do it without my faith in a sovereign God.  Knowing that our biggest problem has been solved frees me to love on my kids and trust the Lord with my husband.  We can be happy/sad with hope.”  Our conversation continued for a few more minutes and then we said goodbye.  Honestly, I was a little disappointed that I wasn’t more clear about my hope in Christ but I had no idea that I was going to be interviewed by Channel 3 News that day.

That morning was a rush of getting everyone up and ready so we could stop for a McDonald’s breakfast to eat on Barrett’s ship before we said goodbye.  All of McDonald’s was closed except for the drive through that was now a walkthrough.  Who never wanted do that?   Nobody!  They even set up bleachers in the lane so you could eat there.  Hilarious.  Anyway, our odd morning continued as we drove to the ship, parked, and walked the long pier with the smell of McDonald’s wafting up to our noses.  We got to the ships steps as colors took place.  The flag was raised and we all either saluted or put our hands on our hearts.  After that was over, we entered the ship and decided to have our all American breakfast on the launch deck of one of the most powerful ship in the world.  So odd.  Families were all around taking pictures of their loved ones, holding tiny babies, and acting as strong as they could.  We met all the people Barrett has bonded with this past month of deployment acting like it was another day.  Then the speaker told all family to deboard.  Barrett walked off with us until he was told to go back on.  As we heard all the sobs around us, my sunglasses hid my tears.

I planned to leave then, I hate drawn out goodbyes, but something made me stay.  I didn’t know it would be for another hour and a half. Barrett changed into his dress whites (and made them look good) and the dreaded speaker told all the sailors to man the ship.  We stood in front of Barrett and for the next hour we did silly dances, made the sailors dab, and watched the ship prepare to depart.  When the tugboats finally pulled this warship away from the pier, it pulled our hearts with it.  The pier was now silent, silent!  It was almost screaming it was so silent.  The families walked to the end of the pier following their sailor with no words, just occasional sniffs.  I didn’t expect that.  It moved me.  We watched him go until the cameraman asked if I was OK to answer a few questions.  I told him my voice may quake.

The news report came back and I saw my hand signing “I love you” and heard my voice, but it was void of any faith.  The whole reason my husband and all the other loved ones left on that ship is because there are bad people out there exemplifying original sin.  Each country may differ in their definition of sin or bad people, but all have them and see a need for justice to be served.  On this earth we show presence or fight wars to serve justice. So do other countries, the amazing thing about our country, is men and women join freely, not under compulsion. Our loved ones are sacrificing comfort, family, and stability so the rest of America can have them.  I saw a shipping vessel stacked high with 100’s of cargo containers passing by the USS Ramage.  In those few seconds it struck me that Barrett and the others are going so everyone else can have what’s inside those containers.  He will comfort husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, sons, and daughters as they miss their comfort, family, and stability.  He will give them a hope that justice will be served in the end for the sin in this world…and the sin in all of our hearts.  In fact, Jesus came to take this sin on himself to take the full wrath of God for them (and us).  But he didn’t stay dead, he rose again proving that the penalty of sin (death) was fully paid.  He will tell them that Jesus understands the pain of leaving family, comfort, and stability for a mission that can lead to death because Jesus did that himself.  He is a Savior that understands their pain, sadness, and loneliness because he felt the same as he crawled toward Gethsemane. And he too completed his mission.

I wish I would have said that to the cameraman.  I guess I just said it to me.  I wiped the tears that fell spontaneously that day and served one of my kids favorite meals.  The USS Ramage is full of men and woman that need the hope Barrett can share.  I can be happy in my tears.  Freedom isn’t free.  I will continue to put my hand on my heart each morning as the National Anthem is piped in at 8am where I live, proud at men and women serving God and Country. We give all because Christ gave all first.