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I found the Chaplain's message on the Warhorse site and thought I would pass it along.
1-14th Cavalry Squadron
By the time most of you will be reading this, we will either have passed the halfway point or be rapidly approaching it. The halfway point in any deployment is one of those strange moments where soldiers, their family members, and friends may be simultaneously feeling conflicting emotions. Joy, we are half way done with this thing. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’ve made it this far; we can make the rest of the way.
I actually over heard some one talking about preparations to go home. On the other hand, the glass is still half full. That’s hard to swallow. It seems like we have been here forever and we still have 6 months to go. And it is the HOT months too. What if they extend us? Then we’re not half way. What will we do then? Yes, this is one of those wonderful, confusing, up and down emotional moments that soldier, their families and friends have all come to love.
So, Chaplain Dave what do we do? How about some wise counsel? I’m glad you asked.
1. Don’t worry about what you don’t know or can’t control.
When we come home, whether it is early, late, or right on time is out of our control. So, don’t waste what precious little energy you have worrying about it. Pray for early, pray against late, and plan on what we have been told so far, and that is on time.
2. Do what you can with the things you can affect.
Continue to build your relationships. Keep the lines of communication open and flowing. In fact, this is a good time to re-commit to that goal, and even try something new. Plan for the future. Nothing brings folks together like talking about what they are going to do when they get home. Of course you always have to be flexible, and be very careful of committing time and money to things until it is a sure thing. My wife and I want to go to Hawaii and Alaska when I get back. So, occasionally we go on the web and look at places to go in those places. It makes for great conversation and dreaming together draws us closer. Which one will we go to? Or will we be able to go at all? Who knows, but if the opportunity arises, we are prepared to jump on that MAC flight and go.
3. Stay positive.
One of my favorite movies is “Oh Brother Where art Thou”. One of the best things about the movie is the music. There is a great old, country Gospel song in the movie called, “Keep on the Sunny Side”. The lyrics say, “Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side, keep on the sunny side of life. It will lighten all your way, it will brighten all your day, if you keep on the sunny side of life.” That’s great advice. Focus on the positive.
So, we are half way home. We have made it this far, and by the grace of God we will make it the rest of the way. Stay positive. Stay committed to building your relationships. Pray for each other often. We will see you soon.
God Bless
Chaplain Dave Shoffner
From TallaFar, Iraq