I am an empty nester, and I love it. It wasn’t that I
was anxious to get my two little birds out of the nest. It was just that when
the time came I discovered that this is also a good season of life. I love the young women our daughters are,
and I also enjoy having my husband to myself.
But, I became an empty
nester sooner than my plans would have allowed, far sooner than I would have
expected when we first started our family.
We had hoped to have three to five children. I was thankful to be marrying a godly
man who wanted to have several children. Randy and I knew it was ultimately in
God’s hands what size our family would be, but as we discussed our plans in
those early years, we both hoped to have at least three to five children.
We do have five children. We have two here, and three in heaven waiting for us. I had two miscarriages and one
precious newborn baby girl who only lived on this earth for two very short
days.
So, my cozy nest was never as full as I had hoped it
would be. I thought there would be many more years of little ones underfoot,
and to make our family fill up more chairs around the table, more little ones
and growing ones to love and to cherish.
But God had other plans. I don’t know why, but I know Him. And I rest safe and
secure and loved in knowing Him and knowing He is a sovereign God.
I also recognize and know that I am blessed beyond
measure in all I have been given, and when my empty nest years came sooner than
I thought they would - I found that my life is full, so very full. God fills me up! In whatever season of life I am in, He fills me up.
God gave us His strength and comfort to heal from our
loss, and grace to accept that His plans for our lives and for our family were
not the ones Randy and I discussed early in our marriage. We learned that in
accepting His will for our lives that we were also graced with peace and joy to
embrace what we had been given.
Yes, the empty nest years came sooner than I
anticipated, and the rhythm of life greatly changed upon the departure of both
daughters as they went off to college and careers and built their own lives.
They are thriving in the new season of their lives, and my husband and I are thriving
in this new season of our lives.
The latest change in our family has been the marriage
of our oldest daughter. So we have added
to our family with the addition of a wonderful son-in-law.
Life is full of changing
seasons. This is also true for our dreams and goals that can also change with
the tide of different life seasons. Yet,
through life’s changing seasons, we will find there is one thing that will
never change. We can trust God with it all and through it all!
Surely
goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in
the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6