Shining God's Love To The Military: Extending Community With Guest Beth Runkle Christmas Part 4

Picture this; You're a military family in a new town, once again, and the holiday season is quickly approaching. The emotional toll is heavy, but as Beth Runkle has experienced firsthand, there's a glimmer of hope that can be found in faith and community. Join us, as  our special guest, Beth Runkle of Cru Military, gives insight, wisdom, and practical steps to embrace the military around you all year but especially during the Christmas season. Beth’s Book, Another Move, God? 30 Encouragement for Embracing Your Life as a Military Wife  ( based on the life of Sarah in the Bible) with B & H Publishing comes out October 2024.

Military life often means uprooting and starting afresh, but finding community can give a source of warmth and connection in an otherwise transient existence. Beth opens up about her spiritual journey, a path marked by initial resistance and bitterness to the military but ultimately leading her to find peace and purpose in God. As Beth has moved 14 times , she helps us lean into the unique struggles military families face during holiday seasons,  and offers practical ways to help ease the burden of isolation and distance from loved ones.

With the holiday season here, let's take a moment to consider those who serve our country. How can we come along side them with friendship, service, prayer and hot chocolate? The separation of families, stress of those in harm’s way, and challenges of single parenting when a spouse is deployed are realities for the families and singles serving and protecting our country. How can we shine God’s light and love to show appreciation and care?  Don’t miss this heartfelt conversation on faith, love, and military life.

Resources:
Beth Runkle Website
Cru Military
Operation Gratitude
Soldiers Angels
Operation Christmas Spirit
NBS2GO Bible Studies

SOCIAL MEDIA: @called_toshine Instagram.
Follow us on Instagram and enjoy the community as we spur each other on through inspiration, encouragement, and equipping.

And always you can find resources to help you connect to the people around you at NBS2GO! (nbs2go.com)

— A ministry of NBS2GO: Neighbor Bible Studies to Go and Cru

Transcript

Jesslyn Adams: 0:03

Hello, Jesslyn here, and Pam, welcome to the community where we explore how Jesus is our light and we're here to spur each other on to love God and others right where we live. We are called to shine.

Pam McCune : 0:17

As we think of being a light and pointing people to Jesus during the Christmas season, don't forget about one specific group who can have a challenging Christmas season the military. There are many of them. In 2021, there were 1.2 million active duty military and 800,000 reserve forces, as well as 900,000 military spouses. The fact that military families typically move every two to three years and you add in 25 million veterans and you get an incredible opportunity to shine God's light and love to military families, whether we live near them, have families who serve or have friends who have families who serve. Did you know? Loneliness is considered to be the number one health problem in America right now, and it is as lethal to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Military families and veterans feel this loneliness and the challenges of connecting, being seen and having community come around them. How can God use us to shine our light, to give hope, warmth?

Jesslyn Adams: 1:21

life and love. We are so honored to have Beth Runkle join us as we talk about being a light to those serving in the military. Beth and her husband serve with crew military in Colorado Springs. Beth served as a military wife herself during her husband's 25-year career with the Air Force. She disciples and leads Bible studies for female cadets and young military spouses. Her new book, Another Move God? 30 Encouragements to Embracing your Life as a Military Wife releases in 2024. Beth, welcome to Call to Shine.

Beth Runkle: 1:52

Hello. Thank you so much for the opportunity to be here.

Pam McCune : 1:55

Beth, you and I met a couple years ago on an online conference. So fun to get to meet back now. But something that's a love for both of us is communicating to people how they can reach out to the people around them, and, for you, specifically, of how to reach out to the military. Tell us more about you.

Beth Runkle: 2:11

I grew up in Florida and I met my husband at a wedding. We began a long distance relationship. He was stationed in Ohio and actually neither one of us knew. Christ got married and my husband was already serving in the military.

Pam McCune : 2:23

Did you have any idea what you were signing up for when you were marrying someone in the military?

Beth Runkle: 2:28

Not at all. Since we dated long distance, I really just saw my boyfriend then fiance on the weekends. I never really saw him in his uniform and, to be fair, he was serving a desk job at the time. After applying a few times, he got picked up to attend pilot training and that put big changes in his life. He didn't intentionally not tell me what to expect, but honestly I have to praise God and celebrate his sovereignty because I believe if I knew what I was signing up for, I would have probably not married him. I had issues with control. When you marry someone in the military, you give up all control and I'm very happily married. So I'm very thankful that I did not know, because God knew I couldn't handle it if I knew what I was signing up for.

Pam McCune : 3:14

Isn't that true for most of us, that if we knew all the things ahead we might run for the hill, but they're actually a good hard to pursue through. Tell us, what was that first year of marriage?

Beth Runkle: 3:26

like for y'all. It was incredibly hard. I still think that was my hardest year of marriage. We moved three times our first year of marriage and then when we showed up to the place that we would stay for a whole two years, he deployed. He came back from deployment Two weeks later he went to training in Alabama for seven weeks and there were four total deployments during the two years that we were stationed there. It was really hard. I remember telling my husband sadly towards the end of that first year I said this wasn't what I signed up for and I said what about me? What about my career? What about what I want to do? And my husband just kind of looked at me and put his hands up and said I don't know what you want me to do. You knew I was in the military.

Jesslyn Adams: 4:07

Wow, obviously a theme to moving, so much that your new book is called Another Move, god. You just alluded to several, but how many times did you move while in the military?

Beth Runkle: 4:18

We moved 14 times and that was 20 years of my husband's 25-year career. We were on the move frequently, but I've come to realize because I did have issues with control that God continually kept saying to me you can hold on to nothing of this world. I am what you should hold on to, and I am the only thing that will remain constant.

Jesslyn Adams: 4:39

So true, thinking about control, thinking about probably a slew of other things. What was the hardest part in military life? And were other parts harder, besides the traveling?

Beth Runkle: 4:49

There's a lot of challenges. It's a lot of opportunity for character building, though Some of the hardest is frequent moves. You're often away from your spouse, You're single parent for seasons and probably one of the hardest is starting over. Very frequently Some retrospect can be a blessing at times, but you're just starting over with community, finding a new church, finding your friends, Recognizing that when your husband's at work it's not like a normal person's job. They're in harm's way, Even if they are not deployed or in battle. I mean, my husband was a pilot, so he was always going up in an airplane which could potentially crash. Everything in our life is outside of our control, but it does remain in control of a sovereign God. But I didn't know that at first.

Pam McCune : 5:30

Each of those are very significant. I'm not for sure how I would handle each of those apart from God. I fear might have gotten bitter, being in the heart so often. What has your faith journey looked like? Who pointed you to Jesus?

Beth Runkle: 5:46

Because you said you weren't believers as young married couple, I love that you use the word bitter because sadly that's one of the words I used to describe myself at the beginning of this journey. It was bitter, selfish and reluctant to the military life. It was making our marriage hard, especially now that I've learned how important respect is to husbands. My lack of support for the military and the constant complaining about it was really communicated as disrespect towards my husband. We moved again to a small town in Mississippi and my husband ran into some friends he had known in college and they had become believers. They invited us to get involved in a Bible study they were doing on Genesis. We decided to go In that Bible study. I began to see that God was real, that he saw me, that he saw my challenges. I don't think it's a mistake that God put us in the book of Genesis. We actually began studying the point that the study began. It was on Sarah and Abraham. We were experiencing infertility, which is one of the big challenges Sarah and Abraham had for 25 years.

Beth Runkle: 6:47

As I'm studying the scriptures and I'm really digging in, I'm very interested to learn because the word is coming alive. I'm seeing like, wow, this isn't just a book of stories, this is people's real lives I'm seeing myself is absolutely seen by God. When God told Sarah and Abraham go to a land that I will show you, that is just what a military family experiences. Often we call it a PCS it stands for Permanent Change of Station I was like huh, sarah had to do that too. Only she wasn't traveling with moving vans. I at least got moving trucks and movers to compact my stuff. She had camels and donkey. She was putting whatever household goods she had on the back of. They had to leave their family and go far away. I was doing that, and top of that, abraham went off and fought in combat. Abraham went off with his 318 trained men to go rescue his nephew Lot against four kings in their armies. That is a combat deployment. And Sarah was back at the tent, I'm assuming praying and probably worried, and then on top of that, they're just struggling with their infertility. So it's like God showed me. I see you, beth, I see all your challenges and in my sovereignty I put this in the Bible and I put you right here in it.

Beth Runkle: 7:58

The study we were doing is precept ministries, which is Kay Arthur and she really laid out what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We realized we didn't. For the first time I saw myself as a sinner in need of being saved. That point in my life I thought there was just this scale in heaven that said Beth runkel on it and as long as I did more good than bad I would go to heaven. That is completely unbiblical. I realized God's standard is have I sinned ever? And if I have, then I need a savior. And Jesus came to take that penalty that I deserved. Both my husband and I amazingly gave our lives to Christ about the same time.

Pam McCune : 8:31

What a hug from God that he put out genesis for them to be studying, that Brian's friends had come to Christ, were in a Bible study in the town that you moved to and that you go and you feel seen by God of your story being right there, coming to life. Was God wooing you and Brian at the same time? Did one of you come to a decision before the other?

Beth Runkle: 8:53

I had been raised churched, but I wouldn't consider myself to have a relationship with Jesus. And when we got married I said we should go to church. That's what good married people do and my husband was really eager to learn more about it. We enrolled in a basics of Christianity class my husband. When he was deployed those four times he spent a ton of his time in the chaplain's tent in the Middle East just asking questions and learning more. I believe my husband was more open to spiritual things than I was, because I had to get over my pride that I didn't know because I had been raised going to church. But thankfully both of us were teachable and willing to learn. It was really this genesis study for both of us. I can actually remember a conversation in the car where my husband said we had just both prayed at an event to surrender our lives to Christ and he said, hey, does this mean we're all in? Are we going to go all in for Jesus? And I said, yeah, I think we are.

Pam McCune : 9:47

What a beautiful picture you were all in and you even got to talk about it together. And who knows if those hard first year of marriage didn't make you teachable To say we need to try something different. Oh yeah, it made us see we needed God. What part did community play in your family all those years?

Beth Runkle: 10:04

while Brian served in the Air Force, it played a huge part, the first few moves, I was pretty lonely, feeling sorry for myself. Without Christian community it was hard to make genuine connections with people. Sometimes people that aren't military can want to hold back and not really invest because you're not going to be there very long, and I understand that. I would actually challenge people to consider how could you bless them and how might they bless you, even if it's a short period of time. When we came to Christ, we actually went to a family life weekend term member conference which dramatically transformed our marriage. That's part of the reason we're on staff with Crew Military Now is just what it did. But at the Family Life Conference they say, hey, you too can take these concepts back home and you can do small groups and teach these things to other people.

Beth Runkle: 10:45

And we were new believers. We start doing that. We start hosting small group marriage studies in our home and we kept moving. The guides that Family Life creates are super easy to do and there's even some military contextualized ones as well. And it really became a calling we felt is that we were to create community. We were investing in other people's marriages, but we were also continuing to make deposits in our own one. We kept moving. We would always just start a marriage small group. We would invite primarily military couples because we knew they needed community as well. There were some times we had some civilians with us and then I also started leading women's Bible study. I knew I needed my group of people, I needed my friends to rely on.

Beth Runkle: 11:24

What I learned to make community quicker, I had to be vulnerable right away. Those first assignments the first one, it was like a year before I had a good friend. This second one, it was six months. So I learned okay, I gotta go deep quickly because I might not be here and you might not be here. Just get real, Then you can actually jump right in to a friendship that can go deep quicker.

Beth Runkle: 11:45

Community was huge for us and we felt we needed to create community for others. I had a huge shift in my perspective. Instead of being selfish, bitter and reluctant to saying, wait a minute. If God and His sovereignty ordained for me to marry this man in the military, who happens to move every 1.7 years, then he has a mission for me too and I have to get on board with that, instead of fighting it and say this is a joint mission, I might not wear the uniform, I don't go off bare arms, I don't fly a fighter aircraft, but I can reach those in my midst which primarily was the military and just to engage the people around us and be on mission and say, okay, God, if you've ordained for me to be here, whether it be eight months or a year or two years, which was a really long time for us. I'm gonna be about your work while I'm here, spreading the message of Jesus and what he's done in my life and he can do in their life too. Be on mission.

Pam McCune : 12:37

It doesn't matter for military or not. We're all called to shine, we're all called to be on mission, and I like how you took it and ran with it, wanting to be more vulnerable, more outgoing. Take the initiative. That can't be easy, though. Now understand your motivation, that you may have a short time with people. Are there any tips or wisdom you can give us of how you made that change, how we can step out, be more vulnerable and take the initiative?

Beth Runkle: 13:04

One of the things that I began to do was begin praying, forgot to show me who was gonna be my first person. I would meet someone, start to feel them out a little bit and really just take a risk and say, hey, I see the ear, believer, I'm a believer. Would you be interested in being a prayer partner with me and meeting once a week to pray together? If you're going to pray with somebody, you're going to go vulnerable. You're laying out to bear what are your issues, what do you need God to help with? And that's really what I did.

Beth Runkle: 13:30

And then, once I had that one friend, I had a support system that could enable me to invest in others and reach out to others, and I didn't just have Christian friends, but I knew I needed that foundation to help me be bolder with people that weren't believers and reach out to others around me. And yes, it was a risk, and it is a risk. I don't recall a time where I was hurt, and that's God's grace. That is a risk, though, when you are going vulnerable with someone, but I did blanket it with prayer.

Jesslyn Adams: 14:02

It's risky, it really is. But, like you mentioned, you might not have that much time with people. You're like I don't know, I can't take six months just to kind of skirt around the fluff of small talk but really get to know people. I also love how, as a new believer, you thought well, I need to be in God's word, others need God's word. Okay, let's start a small group together. You just took a step of faith and God has already done amazing things. Clearly, in light of all these things we're talking about, especially gearing up for Christmas, that can be hard on anyone. But thinking about the military, I would assume having part of the family gone or unable to travel to see extended family or even being new to a community could be extra challenging and even discouraging. Help us get a vision of how we can shine God's love and light to the military this holiday season.

Beth Runkle: 14:47

Keep in mind, transition is a huge part of the military life. If we become friends with military people, we are either moving or so are they. So you're in constant transition and in constant need of community and wanting to feel loved, that somebody cares about you. The holidays can be a little extra hard because often you can't get leave to go home because they can't give the whole military two weeks off over the Christmas break. Somebody has to protect the country. Often you can't afford to travel home, especially once you get kids. It just gets expensive.

Beth Runkle: 15:16

The ache of loneliness and distance of the family can be a little bit more prevalent during the holidays because you do miss your family, you do miss the traditions. You do know that likely the rest of your family is gathered and you're not. So I think it's just a great opportunity to extend loving care to the service members. I think this is a tangible way to illustrate the gospel to them. It's just showing them that someone cares about them, believe it or not. Some of the normal things that you would do in the holidays, if you just extend the invitation to military people around you to join you, is that a military member themselves doesn't include their family. Is that military member deployed? Is this a spouse who has a military member deployed? It would go a long way in making them feel seen and cared for.

Pam McCune : 16:00

When we think about Christmas, triggers happen. This is a season that is much to celebrate but is one of the biggest percentages of depression and sadness because of thinking through who's not here, who's together, but we're not. What's changed, how we can't do traditions. So you just described really well of why that would even be a more heightened sensitivity for military, because they may not get to do their traditions. They may have to do delayed celebration when family is together. I see how loneliness plays a big part. How can we lean in and help that loneliness the hardest time is when your spouse is deployed.

Beth Runkle: 16:42

There's just so much that you don't think about that. It makes it hard. Your spouse isn't there to help you put up the Christmas tree. Your spouse isn't there to help you hang the lights. Your spouse isn't there to watch the kids. Say you can Christmas shop or Christmas wrap. You just recognize that they're not there when you sit down for that Christmas meal there's that empty seat. So there's a lot of tangible ways that we can minister.

Beth Runkle: 17:03

Most of my neighbors now are not military. They have a big gathering. All the family comes over for any of these holidays. We've never had that because we don't have family that live nearby. So inviting a neighbor or somebody you know at the gym or somebody you know because your kid is in their kid's class, inviting them to join you for some of these celebrations, would be huge. It gives them something to look forward to, not just being alone. That's if the military member is not deployed, even Just say, hey, would you want to come do Christmas meal with us?

Beth Runkle: 17:31

When the spouse is deployed, I think there's a lot more hands on things we can do. They can use help putting up their decorations or taking them down, or watch their kids so they can go Christmas shop. Perhaps bring them a hot cocoa from Starbucks to let them know you're thinking of them, because often that deployed spouse back home feels very forgotten. There are more special things happening for the service member that's serving in that deployed location. A lot of ministries minister to them, but the one back home feels alone and overwhelmed. To be honest, christmas is a busy season. Imagine doing it all by yourself.

Pam McCune : 18:03

Overwhelmed, stressed, feeling alone. So I see how that cup of hot cocoa is just a nod to say I see you. Maybe there's other things that we can lean into to say how can I help you as well?

Beth Runkle: 18:16

For a single military member you know, or even a family. Just invite them to the stuff that you already do. Do you want to go to Christmas Eve service with us? Do you want to come have a meal? Hey, we're going to decorate Christmas cookies. Would you like to come over? We're going to go drive around and look at all the beautiful Christmas lights. That goes a long way in just extending the opportunity for community. And that spouse of the deployed member she or he, believe me, they desperately long for some authentic adult conversation. You love your children, but sometimes you just don't want to talk about Star Wars and Polly Pockets all day. You need to talk about something else and you need someone to ask you how are you? It's a really small thing, but to that military spouse, that's huge For me. Hearing that it tells me I'm seen by this other person. But more importantly, I'm seen by God because he sent this person through his Holy Spirit to want to care about me.

Pam McCune : 19:06

What about your kids? How can we reach out to them? How do they need somebody to come along so that they feel seen and cared about?

Beth Runkle: 19:14

Understand about the kids depending on their age. It's very hard on them, even when they're little and they sometimes can't articulate it and so it results in sometimes acting out. You get a lot more tantrums, a lot more rebellious behavior. The mom or dad who is home with them is very tired, so she or he could really use you to invite your kids over to a play date to give another adult to talk to by the kids play or watch the kids. But a lot of times a military kid could really just use the influence of either a mom, if it's their mom's deployed, or the dad, their dad's deployed, so somebody just to come over and care about them, ride a bike with them, bake cookies with them another positive adult influence.

Beth Runkle: 19:53

But time one of the biggest things we can do for those military kids is encourage your kids that are in their class to be okay, investing in them and being their friend, even if it's first short period time. Sometimes we can worry so much about our little child and their future hurt and that having to say goodbye that we're going to discourage them from being a friend. No, I absolutely believe that God sovereignly places the kids in your kids life and they can absolutely bus your kid in a vice versa and they might have a lifelong friend, somebody they can be in contact with. My kids have friends all over the world. Encourage your kids to see the military in their midst and want to minister to them.

Pam McCune : 20:31

It definitely is a risk, but what you're saying is there's a reward that comes with risk. Absolutely, when we're willing to do it. God can broaden them in so many ways In friendship, learning what it's like to have long distance friends, to say goodbye to somebody, be able to keep up in different ways.

Beth Runkle: 20:48

And a big thing we can do is pray for them, especially like, hey, we don't have military bases around us. Ask around and make sure, because there's a lot of guard units that maybe you don't know about, because the people only serve a week in a month. Certainly, if there is a base, then in our view you could reach out to the chaplains of that base and say, hey, how can I minister to the military that are affiliated with your installation? But prayer is a huge, huge gift that you can give. In fact, I have some older women in my life and they are absolute prayer warriors and I believe they're some of the most important relationships in my life because they get on their knees for me and my family. I think prayer is really powerful, especially during the season. There's great power in praying scripture over people.

Beth Runkle: 21:28

One of the things I created on my website, which is bethrunkelcom, that's R-U-N-K-L-E. If you go to the top menu and click on 25 ways to pray for the military, that's going to give you 25 prayers that I've written that are based on scripture. It's a way that you can be praying for the military. I wrote it to help you understand the challenges. Even if you do have a family member, you can know how to pray for them. And I would encourage you if you have children. Maybe even if you just want to commit this Advent season to pray for the military once a week, you could get that guide. Encourage your kids, hey, pray for this. One of the things I didn't realize before I married this man who was serving the military is that the freedoms that we enjoy every day, they were fought by someone and those are being protected by someone. Freedom is not free. Someone pays for it.

Pam McCune : 22:10

Prayer. It's like a gift that we can give, no matter who we have around us. First we want to stop and look around whose guides put around us that we can love, and if they're in the military, there are ways that we can specifically encourage them. But no matter what challenges we have, if we stop and pray for those that are in challenges, it really opens our eyes to see that we get to be a part of someone else's challenge and it's also a gift for us to get to be in it with them. We get to take it before the Lord.

Jesslyn Adams: 22:38

As we previously talked about, in Lighting Up the Darkness when someone is going through hard times, asking for help is challenging. Beth, what are ways we can come alongside a military family?

Beth Runkle: 22:48

One thing with military spouses is sometimes we have to be independent. So often because our spouse is gone or we're just new to the community, it can be hard to ask for help. One of the things I think we can do all year is come alongside them and say what can I do for you? How can I help you? They're going to say, oh no, I'm good, I'm good. I would encourage you to be a little more direct. Okay, I'm going to help you this week. Tell me what you want me to do. Can I come over and let you take a nap and watch your kids? Can I go to coffee with you? Do you just need someone to talk to? Do you want to go to church with me? Being a little bit more forward, I want to help you, especially if she's got kids. Parenting is hard and we're doing it alone often.

Pam McCune : 23:24

Sometimes, when I'm in the midst of messiness and somebody asks me what I need, I don't even know what I need. I like, if you give a couple options, hey, I'm doing one of these, so you can either choose it, or I'll just do it myself, like I'll kidnap your kids with your permission and take them away, or I'm going to come work on your yard. So you choose which one you want me to do. Yeah.

Beth Runkle: 23:44

I mean, in yard work is a huge thing that the military spouse needs. One time my husband deployed, we lived where there was a lot of trees and I walked outside. There were leaves up to my knees in my yard and I had a large yard. I spent the entire day until it got dark raking leaves. Wow, that would be huge If someone hadn't come over and offered to help me. Paying someone to do that really just wasn't in the budget. Or hey, do you need anything around the house fixed? I mean, one time I had to have a neighbor come help me bury my dog, but it was helpful.

Beth Runkle: 24:13

I couldn't do it myself because I couldn't dig the hole and I didn't realize that before I made the arrangements for my dog to be put down. So that probably is the weirdest question I've ever asked someone to do. Hey, can you bury my dog? But they did it and it was a huge blessing Beth.

Pam McCune : 24:26

let's think about those 14 moves, as you probably got better about moving to a new place. What encouraged you, what helped you? What advice would you give for us to have big eyes to look around to see who's new and how we can welcome them to the neighborhood?

Beth Runkle: 24:40

Yeah, I love that. Sometimes I'm super passionate about now, after having been the new person for so many years. Welcome is just huge. We are doing new all the time. Sometimes we're just tired of doing new. We're tired of putting ourselves out there. Maybe we've been hurt.

Beth Runkle: 24:53

Be that welcoming face when someone new comes to your life, your church, your class at the gym, your kids school. I really make it a point to be that person that I go up to people and I'm like I'm Beth, I noticed you're new, tell me about you. Not only do I talk to them, I actually have a card that I give out with my phone number. I walk around and introduce them to everybody else and I'm like, hey, let me tell you about Mary. You know Mary and her husband just moved here and they have two kids. And then I'll go hey, mary, your kids are like what, three and five? Over here is Jean and she's got kids about that same age too, and I'll connect y'all because I was that new person. God has given me eyes to see the person who needs connection. This is a way to bless them, but also this is a way to spread the great news of Jesus Christ.

Beth Runkle: 25:39

A lot of the military coming into your midst, have not heard and I assure you, even if they don't know, they need it. They need it. They are desperately searching for spiritual help. Tim Keller says we all worship something because we are made to worship. Maybe they're worshiping their own self-sufficiency or some other belief. This is a great opportunity to show people the love of Jesus and then be in community with them. We have to build a relational equity before we make conversations that transfer to the gospel. Make that relational equity first and then pray for the open door and honestly, god usually gives me that open door when I begin building that relational equity. This is an opportunity for ministry that you can do without leaving your neighborhood or your gym, whatever you go to.

Pam McCune : 26:25

That is such opportunity knocking. It's not just on Halloween day, it is whoever moves in to our cities and maybe our neighborhoods, but that we run into. It's an opportunity to be a light and to bake God's love to them.

Beth Runkle: 26:40

In the 1960s, dr Bill Bright, who is the founder of crew, made connection with Colonel Jack Fain, crew military's founder, and this was during the Vietnam War. And it was because Colonel Jack Fain believed that a man or woman in uniform bearing arms and subject to enemy action deserves first priority to hear the gospel of Christ. At this time and I think that so continues to relate to our mission with crew military they deserve the opportunity to hear about Jesus and you, just by walking across the street, you could be the person who gives them that light and you can shine that light on them.

Pam McCune : 27:14

None of us know what tomorrow holds, but those that are putting themselves in harm's way. For each of our sake we want to give them opportunity of the true hope, the light of life. But I have a friend that during a season that we spent a lot of time together she had all four daughters go through the military and I watched her go find creative things to put in care packages to encourage those girls. And there are two things I learned from that. One is that care packages meant a lot, be it deployed or be it deserving, in a different state, different city, away from family, to say I feel seen, I feel known, I feel cared about. And two is that it's expensive. Many stamps that passed along or gift cards or treats meant the world. Did care packages ever play a part for you of either receiving or of sending to others?

Beth Runkle: 28:04

I never got a care package, but my husband did. The kids and I would put them together for him. It doesn't even have to be a care package, a letter. You could even just send a scripture hand praying this over you. When the mail bags come, it's very, very exciting for the troops that are overseas because they know they're going to get a touch of home. Even as you're getting ready to send your Christmas cards, if you know anybody that's deployed, send them one too. Don't just send it to their family and I guarantee you not only are they going to read that Christmas card, they're going to read it multiple times because they're lonely Putting a note in the mail or care package. I always encourage baked goods because that's a real treat. Find out from a family member what are their favorite snacks. If there are magazine, I can throw in there a little game.

Pam McCune : 28:44

It just shows that you care If you had received a care package, what would you have wanted in it to be seen and cared about?

Beth Runkle: 28:52

For the spouse loved at home something for them to take a minute for themselves. A foot scrub or a foot soaker, some eye patches, gift card for the coffee shop, a candy bar. Something to say I'm thinking about you. Even pick up the little $6 bouquet of flowers from the grocery store and drop it back. It's a little note. Hey, I was thinking of you. If you have time to stop and say hello, that'd be even better. But even if you don't, just a little, I'm thinking of you. I want you to know you are my prayers. That goes a long way, communicating that they are seen by God and not forgotten. Often that spouse that is at home feels very forgotten.

Jesslyn Adams: 29:29

You've given us so many fabulous ideas. How can we find you online and how can we find out more about crew?

Beth Runkle: 29:35

military, two things. If you want to find out more about crew military, we are engaged in winning people to Christ, building them up in their faith and sending them out on mission. We believe the military does a lot of this sending for us. We're in about 60 base locations in the United States. We are in 32 other countries and in those countries it is the military of that country that are doing the ministry, because we believe indigenous people do a much better job of communicating the gospel. So that's very exciting. And one of the biggest countries we have a big influence is Ukraine. They are in the fight right now so they could greatly use your prayers for safety, but also for boldness to continue to share the gospel. We are seeing them be more and more and more bold because they know those they are serving with and themselves are being often harmed.

Beth Runkle: 30:21

I have a website. It's called bethrunkelcom. That's R-U-N-K-L-E, that's one word. I blog about military issues. They're all with a spiritual emphasis. I have a book coming out in October of next year. It is a study based on Genesis 12 through 22, which is the life of Sarah and Abraham how I came to Christ, and it is focused on military wives to encourage them to embrace their life as a military wife. Do that with trust and a sovereign God who maintains control over their chaotic and uncertain life.

Jesslyn Adams: 30:53

Beth, thank you for your service as a military wife and for your service now and loving on those in the military through crew. We appreciate you and your time with us here.

Beth Runkle: 31:03

Oh, thank you so much. I appreciate just the opportunity to share some of the concerns. Obviously, I'm really passionate about military families. Military spouses are my favorite people in the world. I'd really appreciate y'all's heart for reaching your neighbors, the MBS to Go Bible Studies, which are really a great way to easily engage your community around you in Bible study and point them to the truth of the word.

Jesslyn Adams: 31:25

Beth has given us so many ideas. Personally, being curious and taking the initiative to those in your path is a great place to start, but if you don't know anyone, many websites that are helpful SoldiersAngelsorg or OperationGratitudecom, where you can send letters, christmas stockings, gift cards, donations or being given a personal name you can reach out to. Several communities are even requesting volunteers in the top 10 cities of our listeners Dallas, san Antonio, atlanta and Orlando. We will post on our Call to Shine Instagram account these websites as well as our show notes.

Pam McCune : 31:59

John Jones tells the story in the light of life this life is light Of a friend who flew combat choppers in Vietnam. He was radioed to a secret mission one night which required him to fly in total darkness, totally by instruments, hovering above a jungle under heavy cloud cover. He told that it seemed you could cut the darkness with a knife. He radioed to his man on the ground and said what can you give me? The guy had not even a flashlight. The landing had to be so precise, in a small postage stamp in the middle of the jungle. An air of five feet could crash the chopper and kill them all. Finally, the man on the ground said I have a Zippo lighter. The pilot said light it and hold it up. In the middle of the jungles of Asia on a top secret warfare mission, a combat chopper pilot landed by the light of a Zippo lighter that pierced the darkness.

Jesslyn Adams: 32:51

Shining our light to those in our path can give people going through darkness, whether those navigating a new territory, a new community of people are just trying to figure out the next right step. When we share a light with them, it gives them the light to see the landing pad of hope, love, life, care and light. We have so much more to explore together. So be sure to subscribe to our podcast and if today is inspired or encouraged you, you can help others find us by taking a moment to give us a review on your favorite podcast streaming site.

Pam McCune : 33:21

And as our thanks for joining us here, we invite you to follow us on Instagram at called to shine. As part of our called to shine Instagram community, you will get encouragement and ideas to help you connect to the people around you and, as always, you can find resources to help you shine the light of Jesus at mbs2gocom neighbor Bible studies to go. Thanks for joining us today. We are called to shine.