There’s always something magical when military spouses come together for the first time. Just as there are things that set us apart from those not involved in the military community, there are things that instantly bring us together. The love of a service member surpasses almost everything else. Military spouses are a force to be reckoned with.
This weekend, military spouses — along with non-military women — gathered in Dallas, Texas, for the annual IF:GATHERING. Attendees learned that while they are different, they are still loved. They are still welcomed.
One of the hardest parts about moving is finding your “new.” Your new home, your new job, your new hair dresser, your new church. And with IF: military spouses can connect with other Christian women to find their new place more easily. IF: strives to provide authentic connections to include women of the faith, wherever they are.
What is IF:?
Have you ever asked yourself this question, “If God is real, then what?” Jennie Allen did and that is how IF: began. In 2014, just over 1000 women gathered to hear what Allen and her friends had to say about being a Christian woman.
Like other conferences, there was worship music, testimonies and powerful speakers. But unlike other conferences, these women did something bold that weekend. The 1,200 women in person, along with the 44,000 women who were watching from their hometowns, sponsored 600 children through a program called Food for the Hungry.
They did something. They focused on world issues instead of women’s issues. World issues are women’s issues.
IF:MILITARY is born
As the IF: movement grew and expanded outside of Texas — and across the globe — military spouses, like Colleen Matthews, wanted a way to incorporate and reach more spouses. One of the hardest things about moving so often is finding another group of like-minded, faith-driven and loving women who are willing to open their lives to a stranger. But military spouses get that. They understand the need and they understand the desire.
This weekend, military spouses were in Dallas, worshiping and meeting other Christian women at IF:GATHERING 2019. And there will be military spouses joining small groups around the world at IF:LOCAL events, hosted by churches and women in the community. Since the IF:MILITARY leaders know the life so well, they have created an IF:MIL 1-Day that condenses the program to one day and has a special target audience of military spouses.
From gathering comes relationships, from learning comes growing, and from loving comes change. Some military spouses will do all of this by bravely traveling to Dallas this weekend, where they may not know anyone outside of a Facebook group. Others will do this by welcoming strangers into their homes for the 1-Day in Mar. How will you step out in faith this year?
IF:Military is an inclusive community of women–active duty, spouses, reservists and retirees–serving in all branches and ranks of the military, according to its website. Visit https://www.ifgathering.com/military to learn more about the Mar. 2nd event.
