A few nights before we were to return to the Middle East after our furlough, our oldest son came out of his room with very red and swollen eyes.
Jake* had been crying about returning to the field and told us that he didn't want to go back. In a just a couple of days, he was going to have to say goodbye to lots of family and friends, and it was heart wrenching for an 11-year-old.
It was another parenting moment where we had no idea what to do or say. There really is no instruction manual for raising kids, especially when you add in the unique challenges of being a family in international ministry. So, I started doing what I always try to do when faced with a situation that seems beyond me. I started to pray.
We hugged for a long time as I prayed for wisdom to care for and lead this young heart to truth and grace. Then, trying to balance an empathetic ear with my desire to steer him to truth, I told him he was allowed to feel the way he felt, but I asked him to remember the importance of the mission to which God had called us. Finally, I reminded him, "Son, we are in this together."
Jake seemed contented and comforted by that thought, and he went back to bed and slept soundly the rest of the night.
The next day my wife and I celebrated our 15th anniversary. Jake seemed fine, but disappeared for a while during the day. Slightly concerned about how he was doing, we went to check on him. He appeared moments later holding a card he had made for our anniversary. The front of the card had a drawing of a man and woman linking arms with the words, "I love you." Inside, he created a pop-up that said, "Mom, you’re an angel,” with a drawing of the Los Angeles Angels logo. On the other half, he’d written, "Dad, you’re Colts strong," with a drawing of the Indianapolis Colts logo — our favorite teams. At the bottom of the card, he wrote, “We're in this together!”
I cannot tell you how significant that card was for me at that moment. It was as if God was speaking directly to me, encouraging me about going back to the Middle East, and letting me know that our kids were going to be okay. Because we — as God’s children — are truly in this together.
* Name changed for security reasons.