Upcomming R&R

I am so rady for my R&R. I will be home on the 18th and stay until March 6th. All I can think about practicaly is this R&R. Returning home, seeing my wife abnd children and enjoying time with them and my friends.

I truly is a break from my life to go home. Most people, their home is what their life is, for me I think now it is the opposite. I work, as I see it, twenty four seven here. Your life and work are one. You become this place and what you do. Personal interaction with the Military is still business. After hours interactions with coworkers is still bsiness. Life and work one.

It makes R&R then a vacation, but a vacation within the otyher part of your life. In the states you do not see going home work as a vacation. I am sure even some see it as more work or a chore for them to be home. Not until you don't have it I guess does it become something special as it should be everytime you return.

Going home for me does bring on some anxiety. I am just not used to the types of interactions that I will be having with the family. It is a big swuitch to turn of and on, family life. For me, becasue of my past it brings on fear of sorts, maybe a little of an unknown as things change and you just haven't been a part of it. As I have had to learn things here so has my family at home with out me.

I am also a little anxious as the weather has turned here again and I know that in the Satates the weather is also bad. If Ican get out of here on time and then out of Kandahar I will still have to look at getting into Albany in the middle of winter. Lots of maybe's in that and that also brings some of my feelings on.

Don't get me wrong in all of this, and the lesson for you is this. I have become quite good at giving things to God. I have learned to place my own feelings aside, the anxiety and fear and just place in my heart that there is not anything I can do about the circumstances around me. I change the perspective from "oh crud" to ok God there must be a reason for this.

Most times and maybe something you could try is this. Gicve your plans to Him. Aloow Him to mak ethe necessary changes if He wold like. Then keep your eyes open for the opportunities that He will present you. Trust me they will be there. See if your plans change it is because they didn't necessarily line up with His. He is looking to make an adjustment because He needs you to be available for something that you would have missed otherwise. If you are obediant and attempting to Glorify Him through anything you are therefore in His will. No better place.

Now it isn't always easy. None of anything is always easy but this is how you will change your perspective. These are in essence the things that the Bible teaches you and Christ models for you throughout His life. As a twelve year old boy in the temple telling his parents who were crazy looking for Him that the shouldn't have worried. Before the Saducees and Pharisees, Pilate all these times Jesus just submits that circumstance to God and knows that it is for a reason. We to should work on this and make it apart of our lives.

Anyway, I know one way all of this will work out for me. I know that whatever happens will happen becasue he wants it to. Even my anxiety is part of the whole thing that must come from this, and that I must work out as part of my Sanctifictation. It doesn't happen overnight and it doesn't ever end but it is what we need to do.

Lord, Jesus continue to guide my life. Continue to show me the examples that I should follow. Allow me to work out these situations and to give them to you. Amen.