From Brokenness to Blessing: A Military Spouse's Journey - Beth Runkle

Join me to hear the powerful story of Beth Runkle, a 25-year military spouse who went from hating the military to finding purpose and meaning in her journey. From struggling with infertility and deployments to finding salvation and transformation, Beth shares her inspiring story of how God turned her brokenness into blessing.

As a passionate minister to military couples and author of a book for military spouses, Beth's remarkable story of redemption and purpose will encourage and inspire you. Join us as we explore her incredible journey and discover how God can turn even the darkest struggles into opportunities for growth, transformation, and blessing.

Transcript

Israel Caminero: 0:15

Welcome to Living Testimony, Stories of Faith and Redemption. I'm your host, Israel Caminero, and I hope everyone that's listening is blessed and doing well. With me today, I have my sister in Christ. Her name is Beth Runkle, and she has a testimony that she wanted to share. Can you introduce yourself to everyone, Beth?

Beth Runkle: 0:34

Sure. Thanks for the honor to be on with you and your audience. So yeah, Beth Runkle. My husband was 25 years active duty Air Force. And now we work in full-time ministry to the military. During that time, we moved 14 times, and God really did a transformation in my life through that journey as well.

Israel Caminero: 0:58

And she's here to share her testimony, and you guys get to have the honor to hear her and how God worked in her life. But before we get started, I'd like to pray over us and I'd like to say, Dear Heavenly Father, I invite your presence into this conversation, and I ask that you would bless Beth as she shares her powerful testimony. Give her courage, clarity, and compassion as she recounts her journey, and may her story be a beacon of hope and inspiration to all who listen. May your Holy Spirit guide our conversation, and may we glorify you throughout our discussion. I pray that Beth's testimony would be a blessing to our listeners and that it will point them to your love and grace. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Beth Runkle: 1:42

Amen. Thank you for praying.

Israel Caminero: 1:44

No problem. So, Beth, you you actually just pointed that you've been in the military for quite a while, and I'm interested to hear, you know, your story. So the platforms are all yours. Could you just go ahead and share your testimony with everyone?

Beth Runkle: 2:01

Sure. Yeah, so let's start at the beginning. Um, I was raised in a very loving home where we attended church every week, but I didn't know why we believed what we believed. I had a lot of information about God, but I didn't know him personally. Um, I had never read the Bible for myself. In fact, I didn't even have a Bible. I went off to college, um, and after college, uh, I went to a wedding where I was a bridesmaid, and I met a groomsman there, um, which was my friend who was getting married's brother, and he was in the military. And we began dating long distance. We dated for two years long distance, and he was already serving in the military, but he had not felt it necessary to kind of tell me much what to expect to marry someone in the military. And I'm thankful for that because I don't think I would have wanted to give up the control uh that I would have to, and I'm very happily married, um, but it certainly didn't start that way. So we would move three times our first year of marriage, and then we showed up at that operational assignment and we unpacked our boxes again, and he deployed to the Middle East. And so I remember just thinking, like, what in the world have I gotten myself into? This isn't what I thought marriage would be like. Um, my husband would actually deploy four times during the two and a half years that we were stationed there. And so when he was home, unfortunately, it was not easy to be around because I was bitter about the adjustments that the military had caused on my life, my career. Um, it seems like we had to reschedule all of our vacations. Uh, he evacuated when there was hurricanes several times, leaving me to deal with a flooding house, no electricity. So um it was difficult. And uh on top of my bitterness and resentfulness and him being gone a lot, we also began to experience infertility. Um, so you know, difficulty having children.

Israel Caminero: 4:14

Okay.

Beth Runkle: 4:15

Uh so we would move again, and this time we moved to a very small town in Mississippi. And unfortunately, my husband did not have to deploy during the two years that we were there. And but I was once again, you know, having to try to create community, have friends, uh, try to have a career of my own. And in that small town, it was a training base, and so the active duty members are home more, and so there's not a whole lot to do in that small town. So people have babies. Um, and of course, we were not able um to have children, and so that made it even more difficult. So our marriage was struggling, and then on top of that, you know, we were also not able um to have children, and so, but it was at that base um where I was really desperate for community and searching uh to understand a higher power because I knew that you know this was kind of the first thing in my life. I'd not been able to um, you know, just strong will through. Um, you know, you we couldn't conceive and there was nothing we could do about it.

Israel Caminero: 5:33

Right.

Beth Runkle: 5:34

So my husband um actually was invited to a Bible study from some fellow airmen. Uh and we didn't think that we wanted to study the Bible, but we knew we needed community and wanted to explore what what faith in God might mean. So at that Bible study, it was actually on Genesis. Um we started in Sarah and Abraham's story, and for the first time I understood, you know, the plan of salvation to understand that I was a sinner and needed being saved, and that God's standard was perfection. You know, and if I've even sinned once, I have fallen short. And um not only did I understand I needed a savor, but I was, you know, led through the word on you know how to surrender my life to Jesus and accept his penalty on my behalf. So in that Bible study, actually, both of my husband and I came to Christ and it transformed our marriage. Um, it didn't happen overnight, but we continued to attend Bible studies and we attended a marriage conference about nine months in that was a Christian marriage conference, and it dramatically uh informed the way we had been doing marriage and realized we were doing it all wrong. I think at that point in my life I had been schooled on how to be married by the romantic comedies I grew up watching, um, which don't get me wrong, I enjoy uh good romantic comedy, but you know, there's not always the best marriage advice.

Israel Caminero: 7:11

Right.

Beth Runkle: 7:12

Um, and so at this Christian marriage conference, we understood, you know, the biblical blueprint for marriage, just understanding that, you know, the wife is called to respect her husband, um, and the husband is to love his wife sacrificially as Christ loved the church. And also just understand the picture of the relationship of Christ and the church that your marriage presents, and you know, how we can be a witness to the world around us by our marriage. So we got a lot of good practical tools about um how to communicate better, how to deal with conflict, um, but most importantly, how to center our marriage on Christ and really look to the word of God as our source of wisdom.

Israel Caminero: 7:56

Oh, that's so good. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just I was saying it was so good because you went to this Bible study, and the first book that you read was Genesis and touched on Sarah and Abraham, which was also good. And then like you said, you know, you studied that um wives submit to your husbands and husbands honor your your wives, which a lot of people always misinterpret that a lot. And it's I I believe it might be one of the most inter misinterpreted uh verses in the Bible because some people take that out of context, like you have to submit to me, you know what I mean? Like I've I've known people that have done that. My wife has to submit to me, and it's like it's not like that. It's not like that at all.

Beth Runkle: 8:47

Yeah, well, I realized that I've just really been um making it difficult for my husband to lead. You know, it's I was correcting him constantly, I was critical. Um, I wanted him to do things the way I did. Um, you know, I made fun of him in public. Um, and I think I am a strong woman, and I think that I thought that you couldn't be a strong woman and also allow your husband to lead. And I realized that, you know, I I do think sometimes we have an improper view of submission. You know, I think sometimes people think you you have to be a doormat.

Israel Caminero: 9:19

Right.

Beth Runkle: 9:20

And I don't think that's biblical submission, but I also should not vitriolically oppose my husband. You know, I think I'm balanced between those two, um, where I give him my input. I mean, he comes to me when we have decisions. Um, but at the end of the day, I recognize that when we have difficult decisions, I'm gonna trust him. And sometimes I don't agree with the decision, but ultimately I can trust my husband. Um he is a good man, I think he has good intentions, but ultimately I trust God. And if God has said that my husband is to be the leader, then God can work through even my husband's what I appear to be a wrong decision. And experience has definitely shown me that there's been so many times when I didn't agree with my husband, I shared that, but at the end of the day, I let him make the decision and he's right. Um, and that was God's protection of me, you know, by me going along with him. Um, so I'm glad you brought that up because I think it is often misunderstood that you have to be a doormat, and I don't think that's the role at all. Um, but we also have to trust God to lead our husbands.

Israel Caminero: 10:28

Amen. Amen. Yeah, I only touched on that because I know a few of my friends, like you said, think it means to be a doormat, and it's it's not like that at all.

Beth Runkle: 10:38

Yes. So the neatest thing from the marriage conference was that at this conference, the last session, they said, you know, hey, if you've learned some principles that you didn't learn before and you think this has really been great, you can take this information with you. And we have these small group guides you can buy, and you can begin leading other people around you. And my husband and I just looked at each other and said, we have to share this information because I know marriage is difficult, but I think military marriage might even be a little bit more difficult. And here we were stationed at a military base where the active duty member was home every night because it was training. And so it was a great opportunity to take that back and invest in other people's marriages. And what we realized was yes, we were making investments in other people's marriages, but we were also continually making deposits in our own marriage because let's be honest, we have to be reminded of the way God calls us to be in marriage, you know, and we have to transform our minds by continually being reminded of the truth of God's word. And so, yes, we're investing in others, but it was really blessing us, and we still we still invest in other marriages this day because we know we want to impact marriages around us, but we also need to be continually making those deposits in our own relationship.

Israel Caminero: 12:00

So, what happened after you started sharing this marriage conference information with with military? And like you said, it's got to be hard to be military, you know, married in the military, like you said, getting deployed all the time, the unknown of what happens out in war if you get deployed to war. I couldn't even imagine what you know what you went through as far as when your husband was getting deployed.

Beth Runkle: 12:21

Yeah, I mean, there's just so much uncertainty when you are married to someone's already in uniform. You know, you can have yeah, deployments, you're constantly on the move. Um, they go on TDY, which just means business trips a lot for various tradings. Um, your orders can change, you know, you can be thinking you move one place and you move um somewhere else. Um, but the great thing was is that when we began to know Christ through his word, we began to see that God is sovereign and that even if it seems like it might be out of our control. Um, I I used to even say to myself out loud, um, sometimes when um a decision would come down from the military that maybe wasn't what what we thought would would be best, I would say, okay, um, God outranks even the generals. Um, to just remind myself that there was nothing that God would not allow in our lives, it wasn't filtered through his loving hands. And that doesn't mean it wasn't hard. Um, but you you press into and you lean on the sovereignty of God. And even that if you get an assignment, which happened to us a lot, the the the one that was at the bottom of your list that you really didn't want to go to, then you, you know, you began to accept, okay, this doesn't seem what we want, but God has a purpose for us to go there, either someone we're gonna minister to, or you know, someone who will minister to us, and often both. So we actually moved 14 times.

Israel Caminero: 13:52

Wow.

Beth Runkle: 13:53

So we continued to move around, um, and it was hard. Um, my kids um, you know, they were they were constantly moving schools, you know, constantly moving friends, other sports, you know, it was like one year and two years, one year, two year, one year, two years. You know, we just were kind of on that plan. Um so lots of uncertainty, but really in the beginning, I felt like um I didn't understand why my husband's career had to take precedence over mine. Um, and one of the things I think that the Lord allowed me to understand is that when you serve in uniform, it's not just a job, that it really is a calling, um, not entirely unlike um a pastoral calling, um, because a calling is something that someone feels a special duty or obligation to perform. And I think that man or woman serving in uniform does have a calling to serve their nation and to protect the freedoms that they enjoy. And so when I began to realize that God had called my husband to serve his nation, it helped me get rid of some of that bitterness and to see that if God had, you know, I met my husband at a wedding, we did a long distance, I didn't know what I was getting into. Um, but if he had caused me to marry this military man, that I too had a calling on my life. And it, you know, I didn't wear the uniform, I didn't carry the weapons, um, I didn't go through the training, but I had a calling to reach those connected to the military in our midst as we moved around. So God had us move a lot because I think he had a lot of people he wanted us to impact. And so my husband and I continued to lead these small group marriage studies and had lots of people in our home over the years, even you know, atheists, anybody that wanted to work on their marriage, we would invite to come over. And we really began to take it very evangelical because we wanted to introduce people um to Jesus Christ.

Israel Caminero: 15:56

Amen.

Beth Runkle: 15:56

And then I also began leading women's Bible studies in my home. So I began to see that God had called me to reach the women um with, you know, with the truth of his word and how much we need it. Um really, um, you know, he says that his word is our our daily portion, you know, and our bread for each day. But you really need it when you're a military spouse and everything is outside of your control. We need that transforming of our minds and to just remind ourselves of what we know to be true about God and his character. And so I think that's one of the reasons that God had us move so often is because he had so many people he wanted us to reach. And then, you know, when it came time for my husband to retire, I was kind of like, well, what are we gonna do? Like the military is our people. I don't know how to be a quote unquote normal person. And then that's when God opened the door for us to continue to serve men and women and their families in uniform, but now we do it as missionaries, working with an organization called Crew, which is a division of Campus Crusade for Christ. So we work recruit military. So we are still very engaged in um discipleship and evangelism with the military and their families.

Israel Caminero: 17:11

So when you say you're missionaries, now do you go to like different places where the military is or where they're deployed?

Beth Runkle: 17:21

So um most people think of missionaries as as being sent. Um we are sent, but we are located here in Colorado where there are um five military installations right here in our town. Um, and then if you travel an hour away, you get another one. So that's six. Um, our population here is just uh tremendously military and retired military. So we are investing in basically the people that will be sent all over the world. We believe the military is a goal global sending force, you know, to reach the nations. The minister we work with also is in 32 different countries around the world. So that's with men and women in uniform that are serving foreign militaries um in those countries. So it's really we will we know that the military is going to get sent around the world um serving and protecting. And so if they can take the gospel with them, they can be um a a force um for you know more people coming to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Israel Caminero: 18:28

Okay. All right, thank you for elaborating on that. I remember you saying earlier that you moved 14 times. Yes. Um, what was the average time that you would spend in a place before you had to move? And was it hard to lose, you know? Obviously, you're making connections, having these Bible studies and stuff. Was it hard to like move on to a different place considering that you made these friendships? How hard was it to move on?

Beth Runkle: 18:57

Yeah, so we moved on average every one and a half years. Um, and it is hard. Um, I think the hardest thing to leave is your church family, um, because that is really your your family there. You know, we were never stationed near family. Uh, so we were always far away from family. Our church family was our family. Um, so um that was probably the hardest, but I think that eventually we just began to see that God had us to work somewhere else. And you start um as a military family, you start to um deal with your communities constantly changing because either you're moving or the people in your community are moving. Oh, okay. So you really just um focus on today, you know, and try to be present where you're at and trust that if God's sending you somewhere else or bringing new people into your circle, you know. That he has something for you to do for as ever long as he's gonna have you there. Um, I mean, certainly we grew so much spiritually by all the moving because we weren't comfortable. We were never comfortable, you know, in a home church. And sometimes we would go to really small churches that were having tremendous growth and they needed people to step up and lead, and that allowed us to grow. You know, there were other times where there were um, you know, discipleship training courses or evangelism training courses, you know, where we could learn that, you know, the we had multiple assignments that were less than a year. Um, you know, so you just you just tried to embrace what God had for you there. I mean, I guess it's easy for me to look back on it now and say it was normal, um, but it never is easy, but it does get you do get more adjusted and you do figure out how to quickly put down roots and also be willing to pick them back up again. So I learned to be very vulnerable quickly in relationships because I knew I didn't have very long. You know, it's it's it's different. You don't have years and years uh to build that trust. Um, you really you have to go deep quickly if you're gonna have a lasting friendship. And honestly, I have friends all over the world. Um, yes, it's a risk that I took, you know, being willing to be vulnerable and go be very authentic right away. But I just tried to pray, like, Lord, show me who's supposed to be my friends here. Um, but if I was willing to take that risk, often other people were as well. Um, I mean, and looking back on it, the people that serve in the military or the communities around them that support them, just absolutely amazing people. Um, I wouldn't have not had any of those moves because of all the amazing people, um, especially within the body of Christ that we were able to be a part of. And then, I mean, just what a tremendous opportunity we had to be able to share Jesus with others and you know, bring them into the sheepfold.

Israel Caminero: 22:12

That's right. I heard you men mention atheists, you know, that you even were had atheists in the group and things like that. That's that's great.

Beth Runkle: 22:21

Yeah, well, I think we realized that people were really desperate for marriage help. Um, and kind of willing. We had a four-week study that we would ask people to commit to. You know, hey, would you just give us four weeks? Do you want to work on your marriage? Um, and people were willing to do it because they really needed help.

Israel Caminero: 22:38

That's so good. That's so good. I also want to backtrack a little bit again. Okay, because at the beginning you said that you were infertile, but then I heard you say that your kids on earlier. So you did conceive?

Beth Runkle: 22:56

So we have one adopted uh son who is adopted from Russia. Um, and then God did open my womb one time. Uh so I we say we have two miracle children, one by birth, one by adoption.

Israel Caminero: 23:10

Okay.

Beth Runkle: 23:10

Um, so yeah, that's a whole nother part of the story. Um, and we've actually had we were not able to conceive again, and then we had four failed adoptions after um the birth of our daughter. And so that's another hard part of our journey.

Israel Caminero: 23:27

Did we do that?

Beth Runkle: 23:28

I believe it's yeah, I mean, I'm not gonna, you know, I don't want to go into all the details, but we had different that we tried to yeah, we had different means that we tried to adopt, all foreign, because we felt called to international adoption, because most of the children that are international, you know, don't have as much of an opportunity to be adopted. Um, so um four different countries, four failed adoptions due to different circumstances. Um, and eventually just, you know, under my husband's leadership, he said, I think God wants us to be content. Um, and so 10 years went by um once we, you know, stopped uh trying to conceive and adopt. And then I really didn't I know that I could trust God and I know that he has a plan. But I remember weeping over the scriptures, you know, where he tells us to care for the orphans and the widows. And I mean, he consistently talks about we are to care for the fatherless in the scriptures. And so I remember just thinking, like, God, I don't understand. Like you tell us to do this, we want to do this, yet you've closed the doors. Um, and I see now because of what we do, that God does have children for me, but they're spiritual children. So about half of what my husband and I do is we are engaged in ministry with cadets at the Air Force Academy. So they are college-age students who are attending the the military um, you know, training uh institute there. And we I constantly have young people in my home uh spending the night over. I disciple uh young women that are serving there. And we've been doing that for seven years. And I think, you know, this is the children that God wanted us to have. And honestly, um I'm very thankful for his plan because I love these young people that I get to be a part of their life. My husband and I also do pre-modal uh counseling for them. So we've probably done 20 couples over the years that we've been doing this, you know, just to help teach them some of those great principles about uh Christian marriage and what God's word has to say about marriage. And all of the cadets that come over that spend time with me, it's a special relationship. I did not get to raise them from birth. Um, and I am usually the age of their parents, but I'm not mom or dad. And therefore, they are very willing to listen to my wisdom. Um, and to, you know, there's never any of that tension that you have with your adult children, but with both my kids are in college now. And, you know, sometimes there can be tension. There's never that tension with these cadets. Um, and they want to be here, you know, they want to be uh doing life with us. And um, so it's, you know, it wasn't our original plan, but I do think it's beautiful. And I love that we get to be uh, you know, so invested in these young college students. I mean, I get to do worship and large group teaching with them on Mondays. I get to be in a regular small group with them, get to go on retreats with them, and uh in some ways, you know, have uh a greater spiritual impact than you might have on your own children. In fact, I pray for my kids to have someone like me, um, you know, who is wiser than them and has walked with Christ longer than them that can help be a mentor to them.

Israel Caminero: 27:00

Amen. I mean, God knew what he was doing, you know, like he might have not blessed you the way that you wanted to, but look at all these kids that you're mentoring and and you have now, because like you said, they're not your children, but they are, right?

Beth Runkle: 27:16

Yes, yes. And then it's a very it's a very special relationship, you know. And didn't get to do the toddling years with them and all the little cute things, um, but do get to have really special relationships with them.

Israel Caminero: 27:29

Right. And you had mentioned that you applied four times and um were denied. Were these places that you were deployed, these countries are you what while you were there deployed, or just you know, reaching out to different countries?

Beth Runkle: 27:42

Um so the US military will not, in most situations, they they don't all the countries will not allow you to adopt from that country while you're stationed there.

Israel Caminero: 27:53

Oh, okay.

Beth Runkle: 27:54

Um, or at least that's the case that we found when we were in Korea. Uh so when we were trying to adopt, we were um in Korea and stateside. Um, and it was just various situations why it didn't work out over a number of years. And that was hard. I I mean, there's no way I would ever make light of it. It was very painful and hard at the time. Um, but I remember when the last one failed, I got the phone call, and the only thing that could come out of my mouth with with tears was God is sovereign. Um, and I think you just you have you have to trust him even when you don't understand.

Israel Caminero: 28:37

And you said you gave up, not gave up, but stopped, and then all of a sudden out of nowhere the the Russian kid came?

Beth Runkle: 28:44

No, no, no. My first child was adopted from Russia.

Israel Caminero: 28:48

Okay.

Beth Runkle: 28:50

So and then I miraculously um became pregnant. Um so we felt that God was calling us to adopt our first child. We did adopt our first child. Okay, but I think there was part of me that felt that adoption would be second best, and I still really wanted to have a child, and I had been taking a lot of fertility drugs uh to try to conceive, and really had felt God telling me that I had made that an idol in my life. I'm not saying that that is the case for everyone, but for me, I think it was. Um, I trusted in those uh fertility medications more than I did God, and so I believe that God asked me to surrender that to him.

Israel Caminero: 29:38

Okay.

Beth Runkle: 29:38

And so after we brought our son home and I realized that I could love this child just as much as if I had carried it in my womb, I surrendered my future fertility to God and told him no more fertility drugs. And we began the process to adopt again, and I miraculously became pregnant because um, you know, and had never ovulated on my own. Um, so it's just absolutely a miracle. And my doctor was a believer and said, There is no medical explanation for this, this is only the act of God, and that was the one time that God opened my mind.

Israel Caminero: 30:13

Wow, that's that is a miracle. This hearing just hearing it is it's definitely God, and I wasn't there or knew you or anything like that. But from your story, it's it's absolutely a miracle how God blessed you. You know, you he was convicted you about making those fertility medicine uh idol, and you honored and obeyed him, and he he blessed you pretty much.

Beth Runkle: 30:39

Yeah, well, and I do have to say, honestly, it was a period of several months where I was able to give those up. Um so it was the summer before we brought our son home, and we brought him home in December, that God revealed to me that they were an idol. And so I had just been reading in Mark 9, and I'm a fairly new believer at this point, um, that I had been reading about the man who brings his child to Jesus to heal. And he says, Hey, if you can heal my son, and Jesus says, If I can. Um, and he says, Do you believe? And the man says, I do believe, help my unbelief. So I had just been studying that, and I really felt like God was saying this can be applied to um a stronghold in your life. And so I said, God, I bel I agree with you that this is an idol, but please help me give it up. And so once my adopted son was home, I felt free uh to give that up and to trust the future, you know, of future children with the Lord and to and to just trust that, you know, he he could do whatever he wanted. I remember even telling the Lord um, you know, with my husband, you you might make me pregnant tomorrow, you might make me pregnant when I'm 40, which at that point was a long time away. And I said, but you and you might not ever make me pregnant, and I'm okay with that. Um, and and then that's when he opened my wound.

Israel Caminero: 32:05

Oh man, that's so good. That's so good, and congratulations. Sure, yes, it was it was awesome. I bet, I bet I can't I I can't imagine how you felt.

Beth Runkle: 32:18

It was very unbelievable, that's for sure. But that's a But I think you know, I think sometimes God just wants to show us like uh what will happen if we surrender to Him, you know, and trust Him.

Israel Caminero: 32:30

Amen. Amen. That's absolutely true. I was just getting to say that. And by you surrendering, he like I said, he he blessed you. Wow, God is good. Yes, that's what I say. Not sometimes all the time. And it's everything's his timing, you know.

Beth Runkle: 32:47

So well, and I think we have to remember, like, even when things aren't going our way, God is still on his throne. You know, there's nothing that he allows that's not filtered through those loving hands.

Israel Caminero: 32:59

That's true.

Beth Runkle: 33:00

Even our hardships, because they make us stronger and they make us look more like Jesus.

Israel Caminero: 33:05

That's right. That's right. You you hit that one right on the nose. So right now, what are you doing right now besides uh, you know, you're still doing the missionary work you stated, correct?

Beth Runkle: 33:19

Yes. Yeah. So we do marriage ministry um with uh Space Force Guardians, Air Force Airmen, and Army um soldiers and their families, all those is with their families. We do some parenting ministry with all of them, and then we do the premarriage and then the discipleship and large group ministry with cadets at the Air Force Academy.

Israel Caminero: 33:45

Wow.

Beth Runkle: 33:45

So that's what we do. And then um on top of that, I also wrote and released a book for military wives in October that is based on the story of Sarah and Abraham. And I mentioned that that was the first Bible study that I did, and that's when I came to Christ. And partly the reason I felt like I was able to give God a lot of focus to understand is because in Sarah's life, I saw so many parallels to mine as a military wife, and it made me feel very seen by God that the very first time I would open the word of God would be in a story of a woman who understood some of my struggles. You know, when God called Sarah and Abraham to go to a land that he would show them, that's what we in the military call a permanent change of station or PCS. Um, and I believe Sarah and Abraham were doing that often. You know, God called them from Ur to Haran, to Canaan, to Bethel, to the Oaks of the Marne, down to Egypt, back to Bethel. Um, so they were constantly transferring around. And I at least had movers and moving trucks like Sarah and Abraham were doing on the backs of their livestock.

Israel Caminero: 35:00

Right.

Beth Runkle: 35:00

Um, and then Abraham was also a warrior that went off and fought in a combat deployment. And most people don't think of that, but again, I'm I'm no longer a normal person now. I'm a military spouse and I see things through those eyes. But um, Abraham went off to rescue his nephew Lot from the four kings and their armies. He went with only his 318 trained men. Um, but you know, they were doing back in those times in the ancient world, it was brutal hand-to-hand combat. Um, and you know, Sarah would have been in her home tent waiting while Abraham went off. And I imagine her, if I were Sarah, I would have been like, Abraham, your odds are not very good. This doesn't look like a good idea. Um, so I also learned, you know, from Sarah that sometimes we trust our husbands even when we don't understand, because ultimately we trust God. Um, so the book just goes through Sarah and Abraham's life and gives lessons for the military spouse. Um and one of the overarching themes of the book is just pointing them to trusting the sovereignty of God even when they don't understand.

Israel Caminero: 36:03

Amen. And I'll have links to that book in the description of the podcast if anyone's interested to read it.

Beth Runkle: 36:11

Sir, yeah, it's called Another Move God.

Israel Caminero: 36:14

Another move God.

Beth Runkle: 36:15

Yes, it's on Amazon, and I also have a website, so it's Bethrunkel.com, and that's R-U-N-K-L-E. And I have a free leader's guide on my website because I want to encourage people to engage in community to study the Bible together.

Israel Caminero: 36:29

Amen. Amen. I'll share all those links on the description of the podcast so my listeners can just click on them and go visit you and read the book and whatever, even if they want to reach out to you. You never know. There might be some listeners that are in the military right now and can resonate to your story.

Beth Runkle: 36:48

Yes, and I blog on my website as well, um, all kinds of content for military spouses um because they're my favorite people in the world. And, you know, that's the biggest season of my life was learning how to cope in the midst of that life. But I couldn't have done it without really clinging to God. So I just want to point other people to that. So most of it's spiritual content, but some of it is just practical. Um, you know, what what are the insider's guides to various bases across the US and the world, actually? Um, you know, how do you get ready for a do-it-yourself move? Um, you know, what do you wear for various dress codes for some of the military events?

Israel Caminero: 37:30

I mean, either way, you're still helping people out.

Beth Runkle: 37:33

Yes. Yeah. It's just kind of what is the information that I wish that I knew as we were going through the journey.

Israel Caminero: 37:41

Right. That's so good. Well, I want I want to thank you for taking the time to share your testimony with my guests and for just being as open as you were with everything.

Beth Runkle: 37:54

Oh, yeah, sure. I'm happy to do it. Um my story for God's glory.

Israel Caminero: 37:58

Amen. Amen. That's what I always say. It's all it's ought to glorify God. That's right. But um I always ask my guests two questions before we close. My first question is Is there a Bible verse that stuck with you throughout your whole journey? Or even today, or even like if you're having a bad day, this Bible verse is your Bible verse, your life verse that you have. If you could share what that Bible verse is and what it means to you, that would be great.

Beth Runkle: 38:34

Yeah, well, I've had various uh verses over the years. Um, but one that I've uh really been holding on to probably the last 10 years is Romans 12, 2. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. And I just that just speaks to me of the importance of I need to be in the word of God to discern truth. Um, you know, the enemy is always throwing lies at us, our culture is throwing lies at us. And so I, you know, I have to keep my eyes on truth, which to me is the word of God, um, you know, and just constantly renew my mind because, you know, we still have our sinful nature. And so we can have um thoughts, we can have selfish thoughts that are are not true. Um, so I just have to be keep my eyes on God's word and just realize um, you know, it it is the only thing that truly satisfies, and it is the only thing that's true. I think that's especially important in the culture we live in right now, where I mean, honestly, a lot of culture thinks that truth is relative.

Israel Caminero: 39:45

Amen. Yeah, the culture we live in now is just crazy.

Beth Runkle: 39:50

Yes.

Israel Caminero: 39:52

It's not what it was when I was growing up, I'll tell you that.

Beth Runkle: 39:55

It's totally Yeah, and I think as Christians we are called to be counter cultural. A lot, you know.

Israel Caminero: 40:01

That's absolutely correct.

Beth Runkle: 40:02

We're we're not supposed to look like the world around us. Um you know, we're not supposed to be odd, but we need to be distinctive and live distinctive lives. That ultimately will draw people to the truth of the gospel.

Israel Caminero: 40:16

That is absolutely right. That is absolutely correct. But now I'm going to my back to the past section of the podcast. And basically what my back to the past section of the podcast is if the Beth of today, knowing what you know, can go back and talk to the Beth of yesterday, back when you were younger, and let her know the things that you know now that you didn't know then that would transpire in her life, what would you say to her?

Beth Runkle: 40:50

I think just to stop trying to control things that you're not going to be able to, anyways. Um, you know, and and embrace the adventure of the the military journey, you know. I think I spent uh probably half of my husband's career, you know, trying to avoid all the things that we didn't want to do or the assignments, um, you know, and just to to realize that if if God sends you there, he has purpose for you there. Um I mean, and it's a facade that we have control over anything, anyways, right?

Israel Caminero: 41:21

Right.

Beth Runkle: 41:22

Um, we we lie to ourselves and tell ourselves that we think we do, but yeah, just to um just to embrace it as an adventure, you know, and and I mean, obviously I learned to do that. Um but I wish I would have learned it earlier and um just recognize the things that you know, the adventure that God had me to, which was just as good as what my plans were, in fact, better. Um, and you know, stop trying to fight it so much.

Israel Caminero: 41:55

That's right. I mean, you live and you learn. If you already knew everything you were gonna learn, we wouldn't be where we're at at this very moment. Right.

Beth Runkle: 42:03

But I mean, if you hindsight's 2020, right? You can look back and I can see those assignments that we got that we didn't like, or the deployments that we got, it wasn't the good timing, you know. And um, I think, you know, when God closes doors, we're so disappointed. But I've come to realize as I'm getting older is that whenever he closes a door, it's his divine protection of us. We don't know what he was protecting us of, but I believe he was protecting us from something. And because he has something better.

Israel Caminero: 42:34

Right, right. I was gonna I thought you were gonna say another one will open, but you're absolutely well, uh that is as well.

Beth Runkle: 42:42

Um, but I I I think sometimes we focus too much on the uh on the window we're supposed to go through when he closes the door, but we can also just recognize that he was protecting us.

Israel Caminero: 42:54

Correct, correct. That's great. I want to thank you again, Beth, for sharing your testimony and for the things that you're doing. And like I said, I will have links to her website, to her book on the description of the podcast. If any of you that are listening want to go and buy her book or just even reach out to her because you might be in the military or going through something like this.

Beth Runkle: 43:19

It all know somebody who is. A lot of people have a niece or a nephew or a grandchild or neighbor. Um, you know, they they need less encouragement, believe me.

Israel Caminero: 43:28

That's right. Everyone needs encouragement. But Beth, before we close out, do you think you can pray us out?

Beth Runkle: 43:37

Absolutely, it'd be my pleasure. Um Lord, first of all, we just thank you for the truth of your word. I thank you that you've revealed yourself to us. I thank you for the listeners that are listening today, Lord. Um Lord, I pray that you would help them right now to feel so incredibly seen. Um, just as Hagar was in the story of Sarah and Abraham, Lord, as she felt um unseen and rejected by the world, Lord, but you came to her and you saw her and you gave her promises for the future. Lord, I just pray they would feel incredibly seen by you and that they would reach out to you, Lord. Um, maybe by lifting up, lifting and looking in your word or reaching out, Lord. Um, Lord, we just want more people to know um the joy of walking with you and being in relationship with you. So I just pray, Lord, that you would continue to use this podcast for your glory, Lord. Lord, we are all about your fame, the fame of Jesus Christ, because you deserve all the glory. And we thank you, Lord. We thank you for your spirit, and we thank you for this podcast in Jesus' name. Amen.

Israel Caminero: 44:49

Amen. Thank you for that prayer, and once again, thank you for being here and sharing your testimony. And to all my listeners that are on, that have been supporting me throughout all this, I want to thank you also for the support. And like Beth and I have both just said, it's not about her testimony or me hosting the podcast, it's all to glorify God while we're doing it because he's worked wonders in both of our lives. And if you're not a believer and you're listening to this, he can work wonders in your life too. So if anyone that's listening that might want to share their testimony, and I've always said you could reach out to me. All you have to do is send me an email, you can find me on social media, my email is living.testimonies at outlook.com, and just shoot me an email and I'll get you on here. I know sometimes it can be scary to share a testimony and have people judging you, but guess what? You're not that person anymore. God has changed you for the better. So that person that you think you were might be sharing a story of the past, that's not you anymore. Because God has redeemed you from all that once you found him because he didn't find you, he was always there with you, he was waiting for you to find him. So I want to thank you again, Beth, for being here and until next time, God bless everyone.