Lucky to Be a Military Spouse: Planted with Purpose, Growing in Every Community.

*This post was selected from our “Lucky to be Military Spouse” Blog Contest.

Lucky to Be Planted Everywhere

Most people see military life as a series of endless goodbyes, chaotic moves, and constant change. But I see it differently.

I see it as an incredible gift.

I am lucky to be a military spouse because it means I get to be planted with purpose in places I never would have chosen, but exactly where I am meant to be. It means I get to step into communities across the country and the world, leaving a legacy of connection, encouragement, and love.

Some people spend their entire lives in one place. I get the rare privilege of growing in many.

Unlike most families, military spouses don’t get to set deep roots in one location. Instead, we are called to bloom wherever the military plants us.

And while that may sound exhausting to some, I consider it one of the greatest blessings of my life.

Every new duty station brings new faces, new friendships, and new opportunities to serve. It’s a chance to walk into a room full of strangers and turn them into family. It’s a chance to show up for someone who thought no one would. It’s a chance to leave a mark on a community and know that my presence made a difference.

I am lucky to be a military spouse because I get to see, firsthand, how a little kindness, a little connection, and a little intentionality can change lives, including my own.

Lucky to Be a Part of a Global Mission

Most missionaries spend years training before they are sent into the field. They prepare for cultural shifts, new landscapes, and the challenge of stepping into unfamiliar spaces.

But as a military spouse, I don’t just wait for my mission field; I am dropped straight into it, again and again.

Each PCS isn’t just a move; it’s a divine assignment.

From Florida to Virginia, from overseas bases to small-town installations, I have been given the gift of connection in places I never would have imagined. I have been handed a front-row seat to the resilience of the military community, to the heartaches and victories of those who serve, and to the quiet strength of the spouses and families who hold everything together.

And in every single place, I have found a need for community, for support, for someone to show up and remind people they are seen, heard, and loved.

I am lucky to be a military spouse because I get to be that person.

Lucky to Leave a Lasting Impact

The hardest part of military life isn’t the packing or the uncertainty, it’s the goodbyes.

But what a beautiful thing it is to leave a place knowing that I made a difference.

I am lucky because every time I leave a duty station, I know I am leaving behind friendships that will last a lifetime, support systems that will continue to grow, and communities that are stronger because we invested in one another.

The groups I’ve started, the people I’ve encouraged, the hands I’ve held through hard seasons, these things don’t disappear when I move on.

They remain, grow, and multiply.

And what an honor it is to be a part of something so much bigger than myself.

Lucky to Be Called to Serve

I am lucky to be a military spouse because it means I get to live a life of purpose, a life of impact, a life of service.

I don’t just follow my husband’s career, I follow my calling.

To love people deeply.
To create spaces where people feel at home, no matter where they are stationed.
To leave every place better than I found it.

So yes, military life is unpredictable. It is challenging. It is full of unknowns.

But more than anything, it is a privilege.

Because every time we move, every time we start over, every time we step into a brand-new community, I know one thing for sure,

I am not just moving.

I am being sent to serve.

And that makes me the luckiest military spouse in the world.

-Written by Eleanor Finney.

Eleanor is a military spouse and a mom to four incredible kids. She is also a Christian counselor, pastor, and a passionate advocate for resilience and mental health. She is the founder of Defenders of Resilience, a mission-driven organization serving the mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of the military community.