There are many reactions to deployment among family members. This deployment has come on us so quickly that there has not been much time to react. Saturday was our first day, as a family, to vent some steam. A simple conflict led to an evening of tears and anger - but ended in good discussion and soul-searching.
I hate to see my girls crying. It breaks my heart. Even more, however, I know that very few good things in our character come without some tears. Just like in my previous blog, where I spoke of pruning, growth often implies some element of pain. Too often, however, we do not see the stress within ourselves and only a silly, unrelated argument ends up revealing what lies beneath.
Anger, fear, anxiety, frustration - all of these came out on Saturday night. We talked about the buildup of stresses we were each feeling and we talked about how God was going to do something special with the Bassett family this year. It's hard to see it from this side of the year, but God never vaults you into a time of difficulty without plans to prosper you in it. As I told my soldiers in my first rotation: God is going to do something in you this year that He could not have done in you had he left you at home.
Sunday came and the Church family gathered around us with prayer. Please keep my children in prayer - my wife also, but particularly my children. The boys are playing tough right now, but they have the luxury of still having me around. The girls remember the last deployment. They will each grow and this will be a good thing in the end - but it will not come without some very difficult times, and I won't be around to help them. They will need to lean on their Heavenly Father.
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