Finding Peace in the Empty Nest: The Power of Relying on God
/“My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.”- Psalm 63:8
Assurance from God
Julie stood at the kitchen window as the morning sunrise revealed it’s glory of oranges, pinks, and purples. She breathed in the beauty and offered quiet praise to God. “Thank you Lord, for your presence. Thank you for being with me today. How I need you so. Please be with me in all I do. Amen,” she whispered in her heart.
Her formerly bustling house was reduced to crickets now that the kids were gone. Each morning at the sink was the reminder she needed that God wasn’t done yet. There were good things ahead for her in her empty nest.
Are you needing reassurance in your empty nest?
God is ready to help you find peace.
When our children grow up, there is a natural transition in our relationship with them. We loosen control as our kids venture into the world. It starts in their teens as we let them have a little independence. We monitor their activity then see how they do. If they respond well to freedom, we give them more. If not, we reign them in until they can prove themselves trustworthy.
This continues through college, as we release them to live separately from us. We no longer have control over their day to day, or their political, religious, or cultural views. But we have guardrails around them, as they return home each summer and still rely on us financially.
There comes a point where they become truly adult: they have their own jobs, homes, perhaps a spouse and children and responsibility for their finances, social circles, and beliefs. We still influence them from afar, but they are solely responsible for running their own lives.
In the empty nest, our identity is no longer tied to our motherhood or whether our kids thrive or not in adulthood. That’s not on us. Our grown children are responsible for their own success.
Cling to God
Instead of holding on to our kids, we are invited to cling to God.
“My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.”- Psalm 63:8
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