Many of my friends were standing: Susan, whose husband has been serving for several years; Diane and Bruce with two sons in the military; Lindy whose brother was about to leave; Teri, who had one son serving and another who had just joined the army. My own son had just turned nineteen. If circumstances were different, I could be standing too. How could I so easily forget to pray for these families? How often had I glossed over the “Pray for Our Military” list in the church newsletter? Why didn’t I ask about their status more often?

Instead of sitting there feeling guilty, I allowed God to use this as a prompt for change. I asked Him to bring these precious families to mind more often, offer wisdom in how to pray for them, and provide ideas for how to offer support and encouragement during this unsettling time. After all, if my son were serving, isn’t that what I would need?

How often do we consider that each man or woman in uniform represents a family? They must trust God in a way that many of us can’t relate to—placing their loved ones in His hands, praying that He will keep them safe, strong, and firm in faith. Consider today how you can remain consistent in prayer and support for these strong but constantly concerned families.