As much as I loved military life, there were times, like Elijah, I said to the Lord, “I’ve had enough!” No sooner had I adjusted to a new place than it was time to leave. Don’t get me wrong, I knew military life was God’s will for our family, but there were days of struggle to align with my heart what I knew in my head.

One of my “I’ve had enough” times happened during a PCS move that took place in January. Moving in the off-season brought unique challenges. Life at the new duty station was already in full swing. My kids had to start school mid-year and I felt like I had to insert myself into groups that already had their momentum and rhythm. The idea exhausted me. So, what did I do? I am not proud of this, but for several months I locked my door, pulled the shades, and floundered in my isolation. Taking time to rest following a PCS is a good thing, but I went beyond the rest boundary and found myself depressed. I sent my kids off to school and, most mornings, I went back to bed. Bed was safe.

While I want to follow Elijah’s example in many ways, this is one way I wish I did not relate. Elijah isolated himself. He reached the wilderness out of energy and all alone after having left his servant in Beersheba (1 Kings 19:3). Sister, let me tell you, when the going gets tough it is not the time to travel alone.

Our good God did not leave Elijah alone. In fact, he sent an angel to provide sustenance. God was not finished with Elijah. The prophet needed physical and spiritual strength to continue the journey and fulfill God’s purpose, and God provided just what he needed. God did not tell Elijah to run for his life—that was Elijah reacting to his circumstances. But God gently reminded Elijah through the food he sent that he was a God who was present with him and who would provide for him.

Did you notice that something more than protein and carbs fortified the food the Lord’s angel fed Elijah? After a second serving, Elijah was able to embark on a journey lasting forty days and forty nights. God knows the fortified spiritual nourishment we need to get out of our bed of despair and hit the trail to the place he knows we need to be. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

How did God care for Elijah physically, emotionally, and spiritually? How do God’s actions toward Elijah give you confidence when you think about a PCS move?

Our first military assignment was rich in deep relationships and community. We thrived as a family as we embraced living on a military installation. The close-knit neighborhood and sense of family in our chapel was an ideal introduction to military life. Then, everyone left. Our dearest friends and closest neighbors all moved away at the same time. I felt abandoned, as if I were the only one who stayed behind.

The food God fed Elijah gave him strength to journey forty days and nights until he came to a cave at Mt. Horeb. God asked Elijah, “What are you doing here?” Elijah’s response was that he had worked hard for the Lord, but it did not matter because everyone else had forsaken God. He felt he was the only one left, so it made no sense to continue. Elijah was practicing selective memory. He was far from the only person left who served God. Read 1 Kings 18 and you will see one hundred prophets hidden (1 Kings 18:4), the people who seized the prophets of Baal and killed them (1 Kings 18:40), and seven thousand godly worshippers in Israel! No, Elijah was not the only one left.

I certainly can see how Elijah felt alone. That first assignment threw me a curve-ball in that I, too, felt as if I were the only one left. I knew it was not true, but it took time to grieve the departure of so many dear friends. I remembered how it felt to be the new military wife in the community two years earlier. I determined to look for opportunities to welcome new neighbors and new spouses to my husband’s unit.

The fluidity of people coming and going let me see that I needed to be a productive part of a military community. The military tradition called the Hail and Farewell showed me the flow of time in being welcomed and in being welcoming. Whether in a formal setting or a family barbecue with your new unit, a Hail and Farewell introduces new members to the group as well as says goodbye to those leaving. So, when you are feeling down due to sad farewells, just look around and you will find someone who needs a warm hail. No matter how you feel, you are not alone.

How can you keep your witness for Christ bold and strong in the midst of a PCS move? What do Hebrews 13:5, Proverbs 18:1, Psalm 73:23, and Psalm 23:4 tell you about being or feeling alone?

The assignment I mentioned earlier, during which I isolated myself, could have turned out differently. I often wonder what would have happened if I had stayed stuck in my melancholy. Looking back, I realize that was a turning point. My husband had been in the military long enough for me to see the potential for resentment to build up toward Uncle Sam. I had met military spouses who were bitter, angry, and hardened by military life. They looked backward in disappointment instead of forward in hope.

That PCS had brought me to a crossroads where I made a decision. I was not going to give up on hopeful possibilities nor give in to negative emotions. God had brought me to a place where I could hear his voice and he gently reminded me that this was the life to which he had called my family. I did not immediately feel positive about my circumstances, but I decided it was time to take a step toward building relationships and being involved in the community. I did not want to miss what I was to learn or how I was to serve.

1 Kings 19:11–13 reports Elijah moving to a new location, Mt. Horeb, also known as Mt. Sinai. This was the same place Moses first encountered God in the burning bush and later received the Ten Commandments from the Lord. He felt alone, but Elijah was not the first one to stand on this mountain before the Lord. When we think we struggle alone, we just need to look around to see the footprints left by many who have stood in the same dust of despair. Human struggle is not unique.

On Mt. Horeb, God repeated the question to Elijah, “What are you doing here?” Like a wise counselor, God was asking him to do some soul-searching and re-evaluation of his circumstances. He allowed Elijah to vent his frustrations and he listened patiently. We often look for the miraculous and the spectacular as the only way God can speak and show himself. But God’s message to Elijah is a message to you and me. He is sometimes in the quiet moments of change, the times of waiting, and yes, even the times of disappointment.

God knew Elijah was at a difficult place. I find it encouraging that God did not leave Elijah on a mountain with questions echoing through the caverns of his heart. The Lord redirected his focus and got him moving in the right direction. Sister, God will not leave you when you are confused and discouraged. He wants to engage and redirect us. He cares and he has a purpose.

How can a PCS move keep you from hearing the “low whispers” of God? What can you do to help you hear God’s whispers?

The “#listersgottalist” tag line on Instagram got my attention. After a little digging, I discovered a huge group of folks who have made a hobby out of creative listing. The concept is to create lists about things you love, goals you want to achieve, and memories you want to keep by creating a decorative journal filled with lists. Over twenty thousand people have downloaded the journal prompts and accepted the creative list challenge.

I admire anything that facilitates creativity and promotes goal-setting and memory-keeping. My list-making efforts tend to be more practical. I would hate to admit how many times I get home from the grocery store only to realize I did not purchase the very thing that prompted me to shop! Yes, I need a list to keep me on track.

We’ve mentioned before the helpful nature of lists during a PCS. When you are under the type of stress brought on by a PCS, forgetting important details is easy.

Elijah was under stress, but what did God do? He gave him a list of what to do next. Elijah did not have to think deeply or be in a super-spiritual state of mind. He just had to follow the checklist. The tasks focused his energy on something other than his circumstances.

Elijah did not respond with renewed strength or vigor, but he did take a step in the right direction. He functioned and moved forward to journey to three different places and accomplish three critical tasks. He put into practice the adage for success: “function whether you feel like it or not.”

During a PCS, we do not always have to do everything with excitement and enthusiasm. We just need a good list of what we need to do, and then, like the Nike motto implores us—just do it!

What are the benefits of acting on the advice to “function whether you feel like it or not”? Be a “lister” and make a list of the things you need to do today. Take the details of your day to God in prayer.