Article November 19, 2012 Issue

During deployment, Love was there

Lauren Stillman Nofsinger

Many people throughout the world experience separation from their homes and loved ones for various reasons, including natural disasters, war, and immigration. Some of those who are currently serving in the United States military, along with their loved ones, have been experiencing ongoing periods of separation for the past ten years. We read in the newspapers about the difficult challenges these circumstances have created for them. And yet the present generations are not the first to deal with these issues. All the way back to biblical times, people have been struggling with separation. Regardless of how dismal the world depicts the challenges related to being apart from family, there is a healing response that God’s love brings to each one of them. We see this throughout the Bible, and we can see this healing taking place today.

In January of 2011, my husband and I started a 15-month period of separation due to consecutive military deployments. We are both Christian Science chaplains in the Army. The Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, were our guides to facing and healing the challenges of being away from each other for so long. During my spiritual study in the months leading up to deployment, there were three main topics that I focused on. These topics became my focus during and after the deployment as well.

The first topic was “God’s ever-presence.” My husband was going to Iraq and I was going to Kuwait. The concern about physical danger in that area of the world was evident, as was apprehension about disease and heat-related maladies. But among the military community there was also concern about the dangers of sexual misconduct, drug and alcohol abuse, trauma, and other challenges that have always been part of war. While these challenges might not directly affect my husband or me, we knew they would be in our environment.

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