In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve never been a Warrior’s Bride.
I’ve never experienced being married to an active duty military soldier. In all likelihood, I would have never picked this book up, except for the fact that two of my dear friends wrote it. There’s the remote chance it may have caught my attention since my son is in the USAF and his wife is an amazing Warrior’s Bride, but I can’t say for sure even that would have been enough to persuade me.
Buy it for my daughter-in-law? Yes! But personally read it? Probably not.
Oh how I would have missed out.
The Warrior’s Bride, written by Kathy Barnett and Carrie Daws, is intended for military spouses. Many areas addressed and terminology used are specific to military life. Stories and wisdom shared are gleaned from military experience. It speaks to women in the trenches, dealing with the ups and downs of marriage in the military.
Quite frankly, while intriguing and interesting, I wondered what good this book would do me.
I quickly found out, a world of good!
While the intent is specifically for the Warrior’s Bride, the writing transcends the boundaries of a marriage entrenched in a military world. It shares a plethora of advice which can be applied to every married couple.
Yes, there are unique challenges when you are “Married to the Supersuit” (the title to the introduction and one of my favorite parts of the entire book – thank you Kathy!), but there are also hurdles to overcome, such as addictions and infidelity, which unfortunately, can rear their ugly heads in any marriage. These are addressed head-on with truth and honesty. Stress, divorce, and even death are tackled as well.
Equally important are the sections on understanding and embracing personality differences, aligning parenting styles, and honoring God’s call on your life as a wife. The authors are intoxicatingly real and draw you in with their candor and transparency. They are so relatable. So raw, So sincere. And I was grateful for their willingness to speak truth in love, even when the truth may be hard to hear.
I was most touched by the chapter on the responsibility as a wife. Finally happily married later in life, I take this very seriously. Excuses are dismissed and wrong thinking is chastised. There’s no room given for self-pity or negative behaviors. Again, with love and care, the authors guide the reader through obstacle after obstacle, overcoming objection. I adore this ‘tough love’ approach and believe we would have an abundance of happier and longer lasting marriages if wives received, and acted upon, the type of sage advice presented in this book. The call for accountability and responsibility is clear…and necessary.
“Regardless of how or why you got married, the moment you said, “I do,” you aligned yourself with him and his calling.”
No victim mentality allowed. YES!
But there is also comfort and reassurance offered.
“The gifts of the Spirit come from God after salvation. And as you allow Christ to become Lord of your life, these gifts grow and overflow onto others around you. The encouragement of seeing God’s grace cover you and be passed onto others helps you to step out in greater faith, trusting Jesus to be Lord of even more of your life.”
“Just as you need to keep your attention on Jesus as you walk through your daily life, you must keep your calling to your husband in focus before you, so you don’t stray from God’s plan for you and your marriage.”
AMEN! And thank you Carrie.
While I hope my review convinces you this is a wonderful, helpful, well-rounded book on marriage, I would be doing a grave disservice to the authors and future readers if I minimized or overlooked the wealth of advice geared specifically to the Warrior’s Bride. Chapter after chapter of encouragement and support that offer help in times of despair and brokenness, strength when your soldier is away, faith to handle the unexpected, and hope that you can make it though.
Deeply rooted in God’s Word, The Warrior’s Bride is a worthy read for every bride, but most importantly, for the Warrior’s Brides and those who love them. Check it out here!
Wow. I’m simply humbled and honored by your review. This book was definitely a labor of love that took much out of us and blessed us with so much more. Thanks for sharing the book and your thoughts on it with your readers!