Finding Comfort as a Military Wife

Being a brand new military wife was nowhere on my radar a few short years before. Growing up in a small town outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and having little to no military connections did not prepare me for this moment. 

There I was, terrified at my first Navy dinner event with my new husband. He seemed to know exactly what to do while I felt like a snowman in summer – wishing I could melt to the floor so no one would see how badly I didn’t belong. This unfamiliar world was like the previous 21 years that shaped who I had become, always struggling to find my place.

I loved this man more than anything and I had promised to be with him through thick and thin, but what I didn’t realize was how uncomfortable the stretching, crushing, growing, and adapting would be. 

As military wives, we often find ourselves in this unfamiliar world where questions are abundant and answers seem to linger. We feel afraid, alone, and we sometimes struggle to understand if we were meant to weather the transitions that being married to the military brings.

Thankfully, we find great encouragement from a man named Paul in the Bible, when he comes to a city to set things straight. He tells the people in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT), “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” Do you see the promise? In all of the uncomfortable places we find ourselves in as military wives, God stays constant. The newness of military life can feel strange, but the Lord promises comfort – in and through Him. 

That night, I stood when everyone else stood; sat when everyone else sat. My husband smiled and gave me a gentle nod when it was okay for me to start eating. He told me how beautiful I looked and that what I was wearing was perfect. He paraded me around with confident introductions to each new-to-me face. By the end of the night the nervous jitters were gone. I was in awe of how the Lord could comfort me in a time of unease. I shouldn’t have been surprised – after all, this is something the Lord promises.

We can trust the Lord and thank Him ahead of time for putting us into this new place. In the midst of our uneasy feelings, we can find reassurance and stand firm knowing we have a place in this military life, even though it isn’t what we imagined.

Wife Step: Take a minute now to thank God for being your source of constant comfort when this journey feels unsure. Then, thank your husband for his comfort and show comfort to another military wife in need. Trust in the Lord because you belong here, sister.

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Heather L Eberhart is a speaker and writer inspiring military wives to serve their husbands while still finding their place in his world. She wears many hats as a triplet mom, mom of four, and Navy wife of over ten years. When she’s not in stay-at-home mom mode, she enjoys leading worship at her local church, sewing and eating pizza on Fridays. Though the Navy uproots her often, Heather and her family of six currently live in Chesapeake, Virginia. She can be found on instagram at @heatherleberhart or online at heatherleberhart.com