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Month of the Military Child: A Prayer for Military Kids

in Change· Girl Meets Change· Loss· Military· Prayer

I know we all have a lot of topsy-turvy crazy in our life right now, but I couldn’t let this month–Month of the Military Child–fade into the rearview mirror without lifting up and celebrating the youngest of those serving our country.

In these current times, I can’t help thinking of our military families all the more. As I wrote before, military folks are just some of the people who know what it’s like to have their plans derailed with little notice. And those younger family members certainly aren’t exempt from that reality. Pandemic or no pandemic, they know what it is to not be able to regularly hug grandma or worry about losing a parent or even play with friends or visit all the places they want to because they no longer live where those beloved friends and places are.

Of course, the suffering and sadness experienced by all of us these days–military or not–deserves its time to be grieved. I write this not in the spirit of comparison, but to simply shine a light on those who feel and know some of these losses multiple times throughout their young lives. This pandemic will eventually end, although many of us will know lingering loss because of it. Our military kids will feel this, too, as a continuous cycle of change keeps showing up for them and their parents.

A few years ago, I sang the praises of our military kids over here. Today, I offer these humble words of prayer for those born into the military, those who never signed up to serve but serve just the same.

Dear Father in Heaven,

You see each military child’s struggles, the ones standing in full daylight and those hiding in dark corners. Encourage her now where she needs it most.

These next few weeks and months will likely bring changes in various colors and sizes. Some will be wonderfully welcomed with upturned hands, some will be viewed warily with crossed arms. Help her name the changes she fears to her mom, dad, or another safe person in her life.

Help her eyes and heart stay wide open to receive the good–and fun!–things You have in mind for her in the coming months and years.

There are times when she may hear whispers from partially closed bedroom doors or loud words from the cable news station and have questions. Give the one listening to her questions gentle truth and patient wisdom on how to best respond–and let her really know that you’re taking care of her and her family.

Give her Your presence as she waves goodbye to the moving truck or her mom or dad.

Give her Your courage to walk into the new town, the new school, and the new house one brave step at a time.

May You build within her an empathetic, caring heart who looks out for the new kid as she knows all too well the feeling of being the new kid herself.

May You build around her an empathetic, caring community who is for her and loves her exactly as she needs to be loved.

If she misses the familiarity of former things, help her remember You have fantastic new things in mind for her future.

If she has no adoration for her location, help her to know it’s picked by You, not mom or dad’s job. You determine the exact place where she and her family should live.

Yeah, she probably gets tired of that question, “Where are you from?”  because it’s a tricky one to answer. Help her know that home is wherever she is because home isn’t the place she’s in but the people she’s with–and Christ who lives within her.

You’re building exceptional things in her, things that cultivate in quiet darkness now but will one day flourish within the light of day. As she waits for what is to become what will be, help her to know that You are using this time to grow good things in the soil of her soul and the content of her character.

Lord, even as her roots are shallow, make them strong. Help her to bloom beautifully not in spite of frequent transplants, but because of them.

Give her abundance in surprising, just-for-her ways that are tailored to her personality quirks and perks.

And no matter what the seasons bring, may she know she’s loved, loved, loved.

In the always-faithful, never-changing name of Jesus,

Amen

For those struggling with the difficult change in their lives, this book is here for you. Find it at Amazon, B&N, or wherever you buy books. (Some links are affiliate links.) Read more about it here.

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Filed Under: Change, Girl Meets Change, Loss, Military, Prayer

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Hey there, dearheart! I’m Kristen, and welcome t Hey there, dearheart! I’m Kristen, and welcome to my little corner of the world here in the Colorado woods outside Colorado Springs. 

I wondered if you’d want to go inside, pull up a chair ‘round the fire, and hang out a bit? 

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I like: 
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I don’t like: 
▫️Muffins (They’re just sad cupcakes with no frosting.) 
▫️Long winters (God shows His sense of humor by placing me in CO!) 
▫️Cruises (In spite of being told otherwise, I did, indeed, feel the ship moving.🥴) 

👏🏻I’m a mighty fine encourager, and if you do/say/wear something I genuinely love, I’ll let you know it and/or tell others about it. 

🙁I sometimes let fear dictate what I do or don’t do, and that’s exacerbated by my bossy inner critic. 

🙅‍♀️I don’t like mean people. BUT I can be awfully sarcastic, and sarcasm is often just mean in cuter clothing. 

😢A friend and I talked recently about how raising teens and big kids has us tender to the touch, often with tears just below the surface. 

💙Speaking of kids, I’m mama to three hilarious, hard working, and big hearted kiddos—twin sons and a daughter—whom I adore. 

❤️I’m wife to a USAF veteran, David, (raising my Polish pottery mug of hot tea to the military spouses here!), who’s also an all around amazing, amazing fella. 

📚I wrote two books called #GirlMeetsChange and #BackRoadstoBelonging. I love to help folks see their change and lack of belonging it often brings in a more hopeful light—because difficult change is never the end of things. God’s grace and goodness are. 

☕Thank you for being here—I’m passing you a virtual cuppa your favorite hot beverage and a cupcake (sorry, no muffins). 

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#FridayIntroductions
The sun sets on a downright delightful month of ha The sun sets on a downright delightful month of having all the chicks back in the nest. We puzzled, Uno’d, and played a new game called Knope for President. (So fun!) We watched Mandalorian all together, and David and I started a Netflix show called Turn. We had tea (and coffee!) at 4:30 each afternoon like some kind of Brit wanna-be’s. I cooked like a crazy person because cooking is the most predictable Enneagram 2 thing I do. Pot roast, spaghetti, and baked casseroles, oh my! Plus, 21 year olds who’ve had a semester of fending for themselves on the food front are mighty appreciative when dinner magically comes out of the oven. 

Said 21 year olds are back at college now, but I’m thankful for the good memories that stay with the rest of us Strongs after they’ve left. This last month held hard stuff for many of us, I know, but I hope it left you with some good memories as well. 💛
If your life looks anything like mine, difficult c If your life looks anything like mine, difficult change that started in 2020 didn't give one whit about the new year and walked right with you into 2021. Your change could be more broadly felt like fallout from a lingering pandemic, or it could be more individual —marital, parenting, job, or relational struggles that refuse to let go. 

Or  it could be both, one worsening the other.

If you’re weary from the loneliness that change can bring OR tired of resenting change altogether (and seeing it only through a lens of anxiety and frustration), consider giving #GirlMeetsChange and #BackRoadstoBelonging a look.

Our difficult change may not be going anywhere, but our outlook on it can. 

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My daughter read that this past Christmas season, My daughter read that this past Christmas season, Christmas light sales were up 300% compared to years past. We may leave ours up for another week or two, and I’m 300% okay with that. 

In the wise words of @iamtabithabrown, it’s my business. 

It’s also my business how I choose to respond to something—indeed, it is a choice. Will I be thoughtful or defensive? Will I be someone who displays or douses the light of Christ? 

In our work to love our neighbor as ourselves, may we be a people who persevere and refuse to stop using our own unique God-given light to dispel the dark. People are desperate for it, and this work matters.
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