Lynn H. Blackburn

A few weeks ago, our community lost a young man in Afghanistan. He’d been there less than three weeks. I didn’t know the soldier or his family, but I was so moved by the outpouring of support from our citizens. While people lined the highways and gathered to protect the grieving family from protesters, I began to read a devotional written specifically for military families.

Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home When Your Soldier Leaves for Battle addresses the battle on the home front. How do you go about your life when your husband or child or parent is half a world away and in constant danger?

Edie Melson knows.

She watched her oldest son leave for Iraq. Twice. She spent many nights clutching her Bible and pounding the gates of heaven as only a mother can. She writes from an honest heart. Sometimes with humor and sometimes with raw emotion. There’s no attempt to gloss over the challenges experienced by the families of the deployed.

But there is so much hope.

From the stories of now grown children of WWII servicemen to spouses of 20+ year career military personnel, a beautiful picture of God’s faithfulness emerges. We see prayers answered, relationships restored, and challenges met.

From the hearts of mothers, wives, and daughters we see irrefutable evidence that God cares. He knows the battle is being fought on both fronts and He is the only One who can be in both places. He is the Constant. He is the Peace.

If you love a soldier, or love someone who does, Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home When Your Soldier Leaves for Battle is a must read. It belongs on the bedside table of every spouse, parent, child, or sibling of our soldiers in harm’s way.