SINGLE SPOUSE OFFICERSHIP Part -3-

Are there negatives to being a single spouse Officer, yes I am sure there are, As there are to being a married Officer and constantly living and working with your partner. For me the advantages far out weigh the disadvantages. However, there are times when I would ask ‘leadership’ to look at our individual situations before making a policy decision that affects us all. One size does not fit all. I began by stating that our situation is possibly somewhat unique. We asked for and were granted permission from the Army for us to marry while my then fiancé’ was still in hospital recouperating from his stroke. At the time none of us knew how things would work out medically (we heard nurses and doctors confer behind a screen agreeing, “he’ll never walk again!”) and yet the Army still gave us permission to marry.

Three years after his stroke there is no similarity between those early days and now and I thank God for the massive progress Sven has made. However, he is still disabled and in the light of this there are things I chose to do for him and want to do for him as a loving wife. I want to be the best Officer I can possibly be and have a husband who supports me totally. At the same time, I want to be the best wife I possibly can be too and would ask ‘the Army’ to support me in this, but not just me, other single spouse Officers too.

I am grateful for Officers Councils, Retreats and Training opportunities we are given and over the years have received a great deal from these events. I have found they spiritually refresh me and recharge my batteries. It is good to be in a position of being ministered to. However, now I find it increasingly difficult to attend as I will not leave my husband at home alone and would want him at least to be able to share my accommodation at such times and have his meals provided. Is it really out of the question for our spouses to attend such events with us? Is it really out of the question for the Army to offer the hand of fellowship and ministry to our partners as a thank you for their support? While we are in councils or retreat could something not be offered to the non-Officer partner in the same venue that could help feed them spiritually, bring them together so they too could meet with other like minded people and share fellowship with the Officer fraternity too?

In some ways there are times when it would appear I have my own confidant, counselor, prayer partner, trainer, mentor and much, much more living under the same roof. Yes, it is me who is the Officer. Yes, it is my calling being fulfilled, but it is being enriched by a husband who if he had his way would have an Army flag by the front door in our quarters as a constant reminder of our mission, and what we are about as we leave the quarters. 


I thank God that we, are: ‘Called by God to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’ And we have the opportunity of fulfilling our calling separately and together and do so daily to the very best of our ability. 


(If you take the time to peruse this FSAOF blog you'll see a part of Sven's contribution to the army world- 3 members of the fellowship he formed returned to full time service as SA officers in the last 2 weeks.}

Glad Ljungholm

Major

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Many good points that you have made. I am very happy for you that the Army made the decision to let you minister as an officer and be married to Sven as he ministers also . If only others had the opportunity as you speak of. The states are missing out on many servants that could help by outdated policy that has nothing to do with theology or the teachings in the Bible. Too bad.

Thank you for your service in Christ !

USA East former

Anonymous said...

I hear your cry as I have a pastoral heart!

I simply don't understand you have vented your thoughts of this site? Surely will be best vented on a Officer site!!

Please explain why you have posted on here.


Active 
USA

Anonymous said...

I'm not certain who Active USA is, or to whom your comment is addressed. I'm guessing the blog contributor. Venting? I don't see that at all. An instructive challenge. And as already suggested in another comment, it ough to be shared with THE OFFICER.

If you are a regular visitor to the blog, as I and my wife are, you will know that the more than 30,000 visitors to this blog come from every corner of the world; dozens of territories. With the dwindling number of 'actives' in non-3rd world countries, I see the positive side of the current article and indeed the majority posted here. They serve as a wake-up call to our leadership in effecting to thwart further thinning of our ranks.


Active 
USA South

Anonymous said...

Couldn't agree more, USA South- not venting at all, rather a plea to change the system for the better.


Active 

Canada & Bermuda

Anonymous said...

i'd see the most positive aspect of single spouse officership being that those who sense a calling to officership can follow that call, even if their spouse cannot - or can continue to serve, even if their spouse cannot. 
Active, US East

Wednesday, 05 May, 2010

Anonymous said...

I may have considered serving as an officer again and my wife would like to pursue another career. She still would be supportive and of course still loves the Lord. Too bad we were told that only both serving as officers is the only acceptable way in the USA. That makes one less officer and one less soldier available. That forced us to decide to move on to another place of worship.
That must be what territorial leadership is looking for, a stricter , smaller Army.

USA former

Anonymous said...

Wonderful to see the new blog feature highlighting those re-accepted to full time service. And, that one is a single-spouse officer. Canada and the UKT appear to be thinking outside the proverbial SA lock box.


Active, 
DHQ

USA East

Anonymous said...

Excellent news about the three acceptances of returns to Officership and one single spouse too. So good to see their photo's as well so we can picture them as we pray for them. Thanks Sven.

'Blessing them now Saviour
Blessing them now
As we're praying
Thou art blessing
Thou art blessing them now.' 

and equipping them for the days ahead.

Active UKT

Anonymous said...

Glad & Sven, keep flying the flag and fight to the very end!


Active 
USA EAST

Deborah said...

OMG, the thought of the flag at the front door sent me into a fit of giggles. And yet, I do believe it to be so if Sven had his way. Should I even tell you I had an Army flag quilt? A woman in my corps made it for me to take to training. It now resides either with the Coopers or the historical whatchamacallit in the south.

Andrew Clark said...

We have a flag in our living room Glad...not just a little one, a full sized one on a pole ;) We will be former officers by July, but I'm quite sure we'll hoist the flag again in our new accomodation no matter what we do.

Just to say that one of the things that really encouraged me in January at the chaplains conference was to see Sven around...I though it was really great that he was given the opportunity to come. When the opportunity for single spouse opportunities arise, there must be flexibility.


Andrew Clark,
Captain, 
Aberdeen Torry Corps