There are so many things that the flag represents to me. When I look at it, I see all the freedoms that we enjoy on a daily basis. The colors of the flag all have a different meaning for me. The red stands for the angry days of military life. The days where we just want to throw in the towel. The blue is for those blue days when all you want is your soldier home. The stars remind me that even though we are worlds apart we are still under that great big sky together. The white, probably the most important color to me, stands for those days when I think I can’t go on and I finally surrender to God’s plan and His will, instead of my own.
As an Army wife, it doesn’t usually take the 4th of July or another holiday for me to remember the freedoms that we enjoy. I am reminded of them on a daily basis because I serve right next to my husband. I form relationships with women from all over the world. These women become my family. They are my battle buddies. Army wives don’t have to say the words out loud, we just know in our hearts what our husbands are fighting for. We are strong Army wives who are held together by one common theme, the flag.
When things are going well on my military spouse journey, it’s easy for me to say, “Don’t worry about me, Lord, I have this under control.” Then when things start to get hard I throw up the “oh poor me” prayer and say something like “Lord, could you please make this situation better?” I forget that all along God has been in control. He saw that place I was going before I went there. He was clearing a path for me. Not always an easy path but a path nonetheless.
Many times during a deployment, I have felt like I wasn’t able to go on. There was no way I was going to make it through as a sane woman-or have sane children. I’m sure at one point or another all four of our children have thought that I had lost my mind. But God knew right where I was, where to pick me up, and then dust me off and start again.
Because of the country we live in, we can talk about God. I am able to openly express my faith. There is not a cookie cutter religion or a religion we are required to follow. We enjoy our freedom of religion. I go to church on Sunday with my children and my husband, if he is here. We worship the Lord in a way that means something to us. Our kids go to Sunday School and often talk about God and their relationship with the Lord. I am able to host an internet talk radio show and openly talk about my relationship with the Lord. I love that about our country.
I believe that the Lord calls us to be military wives. He is leading our path, carving out resting places when we need them and giving us running shoes when we are ready. God helps us be the strong, caring and loving Army wives that we are. He holds our hands when we are sad and wipes our tears when we cry. He knows the hardships we endure while our family serves this country.
We enjoy many freedoms just by living in the United States of America. Army wives don’t have to be reminded of that. We live and sacrifice right next to our husbands. We understand the price that is paid for the colors of the flag and the freedom that comes with it. The one freedom that is available to us all, no matter what country we live in, is the love of Jesus.
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Shannon Burrous
Senior Contributor
www.frazledmwcn.com
faith@armywifemagazine.com
FAITH & VALUES
Archives: Faith & Values
Red, white and blue is what you will see when you enter our home. I have a table in our foyer that has different patriotic items. I can’t seem to get enough Americana items. Most military wives I have met have the same love for our flag. We know the hardship it causes our families, and the freedoms that we enjoy because of it.
