I hold the envelope in my long fingers and stare at the graceful, swooping letters of my name handwritten by my husband’s Aunt Hetty. Originally from the Netherlands, Aunt Hetty met David’s uncle while he was stationed in Europe. They fell in love, got married, and Aunt Hetty left her home country to follow her military man all over the world.
I open the envelope and pull out the note. Scanning its contents, I soak up encouragement, help in the form of letters and words. As a sparkly new bride who didn’t have a clue about military life, Aunt Hetty wrote of what I could expect. One thing that stood out were the words,
“Get ready to meet some of the best friends and memories you’ll ever have.”
That was eighteen years ago, but those words still shine fluorescent in my mind.
Up ’til then, I had been looking at this new lifestyle from the perspective of goodbye rather than hello. Aunt Hetty reset my internal compass to all I would be receiving rather than losing. She put pride aside by sharing her own struggles so I might be comforted in mine. Her words shifted my heart’s position, and I appreciated her note for all the help and hope it gave.
Aunt Hetty represents one thing I love about this country:
We are a nation of helpers.
We look next door and towards the next state and even over an ocean and when we see a need, we ask,
“How can I help?”
Oh, our country doesn’t always walk this out perfectly. Sometimes we try and miss the mark or look the other way altogether. But often we examine both sides of our borders and step up to help out so love may reach out beyond our own driveways.
Giving comes at a cost, but we don’t let this stop us. We set our internal compass to what is gained rather than lost, we put ourselves last rather than first.
May my own life model this, too.
If you’re a military wife *or* a woman in a season of change, might I kindly suggest you check this out?
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On Thursdays ’round here, we share out of the blue stories about how God has used a surprise to increase our joy or build our faith. We’ve shared stories of answered prayers, friendship, adventures, appreciation, mistakes, apologies, confidence, goodbyes, special places, and even photos. But today, we are sharing our own out of the blue story for the red, white, and blue. Some things to remember:
1. New to link-up’s or have questions about out of the blue? Read this first.
2. Since we all dig surprises, please surprise another writer by leaving a comment on her post *or* by giving her a facebook shout-out or tweet. Use the hashtag: #outoftheblue.
3. Be sure to include the out of the blue banner {see above} in your post or link back to Chasing Blue Skies so your readers can join in the fun. That way, we can all easily find each other.
Today, our out of the blue prompt is dedicated to the red, white, and blue, so we are sharing stories of what we love about this country. Your post can be patriotic in nature or just a thank-you to our military. If you wrote a Memorial Day post, feel free to link it up! Your post can also be something you love about summer, vacations, sports, or whatever you wish. Just think about why you feel blessed to live in the United States and give words to it. Can’t wait to read your own out of the blue story!
Important note: Because my family will be traveling for the next few weeks, we will be taking an out of the blue break for most (if not all) of June. I’ll keep you advised as to when we will begin again!
Bev Duncan @ Walking Well With God says
Kristen,
I have had many “helpers” in my life and so I try to give back when God calls me to be a helper. I’m glad we live in a Naiton of helpers… What a blessing Aunt Hetty was to you. Have a wonderful break and safety surround you in your travels in June. Will pop in when you return. Blessings, Bev
Kristen says
You are a *wonderful* helper, Bev. Love you!
Beth says
Amen to this… “Get ready to meet some of the best friends and memories you’ll ever have.” I have discovered this is how I’ve been blessed most by being a part of this military family…so many amazing new friendships and memories made. Enjoy your break Kristen. You will be missed but you will be in my prayers for safe travels. So grateful for you my friend. Blessings, Beth.
Kristen says
Grateful for you too, Beth. Much love.
Tatia Cook says
It sounds so ‘cliche’, but I love the FREEDOM we have in this country! Freedom to speak out loud of God’s goodness to us. Freedom to pray in public. Freedom to have churches on every corner and to attend whichever one we want. Freedom to have WAY too many Bible translations on my bookshelf 🙂 Freedom to gather in coffee shops, parks, and civic centers to hear the Word proclaimed and share testimonies. I take this freedom for granted more often than not – Lord, help me to be grateful that you’ve placed me HERE, in this nation, at this time and to remember that this freedom is not free!
Kristen says
That’s a good word, Tatia. Thank you!
Emily M says
Who won the give away? The beautiful gold two heart necklace? I love it so much!
Kristen says
Hello, Emily…
I know, right? I love it too! The folks at (in)courage pick the giveaway winners. If you’re one of the three, they will most definitely let you know. Thanks, sister!