Praying for Marriages (PfM)

Marriages and Military Deployment   Please join us this week in praying for marriages dealing with the military deployment of a spouse. Although there are many elements of military life that can affect a marriage, probably none affects the couple more than the separation of deployment. Just preparing for the deployment of a spouse can be stressful for the marriage. During this preparation period it is not unusual for the couple to become emotionally and physically detached. This detachment may be an unconscious defense against the sadness of the coming separation. The anticipation of the deployment can also be accompanied by fear, fear of the unknown, fear of never seeing the departing spouse again and even the fear of facing daily life alone. Once the deployment occurs, emotions can fluctuate wildly: relief that the good-bye is over; resentment of being abandoned; guilt for abandoning; excitement about accomplishing a mission; or deep and debilitating loneliness. When the deploy...