Tough times don't last forever but tough people do.

I will be strong and courageous. I will not be terrified or discouraged; for the Lord my God is with me wherever I go.
-Joshua I:9





The Military Wife

The good Lord was creating a model for Military Wives and was into his sixth day of overtime when an Angel appeared.

She said, "Lord, you seem to be having a lot of trouble with this one. What's wrong with the standard model?"

The Lord replied, "Have you seen the specs on this order? She has to be completely independent, possess the qualities of both Mother and Father, be a perfect hostess for four or forty with an hours notice, run on black coffee, handle every emergency imaginable without a manual, be able to carry on cheerfully, even if she is pregnant or has the flu, and she has to have six pair of hands." The Angel shook her head. "Six pair of hands? No way!" The Lord continued, "Don't worry, we will make other Military Wives to help her. And we will give her an unusually strong heart so it can swell with pride in her Husband's achievements, sustain the pain of separation, beat soundly when it is overworked and tired, and be large enough to say "I understand" when she doesn't and "I love you" regardless." Lord", said the Angel, touching his arm gently. "Go to bed and get some rest. You can finish this tomorrow."

"I can't stop now", said the Lord. "I am so close to creating something so unique. Already this model heals herself when she is sick, can put up six unexpected guests for the weekend, wave goodbye to her Husband from a pier, a runway or a depot, and understand why it is important that he leave." The Angel circled the model of the Military Wife, looked at it closely and sighed. "It looks fine, but it's too soft." "She may look soft," replied the Lord, "but she has the strength of a lion. You would not believe what she can endure."


Finally, the Angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the Lord's creation. "There's a leak," she announced. "Something is wrong with the construction. I'm not surprised that it has cracked. You are trying to put too much into this model." The Lord appeared offended at the Angel's lack of confidence. "What you see is not a leak. It's a tear." "A tear? What is it there for?", asked the Angel. The Lord replied, "It's for joy, sadness, pain, disappointment,
loneliness, pride and dedication to all the values that she and her Husband hold dear." "You are a genius!" exclaimed the Angel. The Lord looked puzzled and replied, "I didn't put it there."

Author Unknown