|
May
31, 2006
"Empty Nest verses Fulfilling Next"
Susanne Scheppmann
Co-editor of Online Devotions, Proverbs 31 Speaker Team Member
|
 |
Key
Verse:
Jeremiah 29:11, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (NIV)
Devotion:
I now enjoy that my chicks have flown the coop. However, that wasn't always the case. I mourned for my first son when he left home. His empty seat haunted me from across the dinner table. I dreaded it when my daughter graduated and moved to California. I bawled when my youngest son joined his older brother in Minnesota, a mere 1,700 miles away from me.
But now? Although I love my children dearly, I am glad they are competent and independent grown adults. I will always be their mother, but now I can be their friend too. I realize that when certain seasons of life pass, such as raising children, then God provides pathways to new adventures. Because He promises, "He plans to prosper us… and to give us a hope and future." (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV) Life is not over when our children leave home; it's just a new beginning.
An exciting and unknown journey begins each time we enter a new phase in our spiritual life. We should look back where we have been and what we have been through during the years. Henry Blackaby calls these spiritual markers. He writes in Experiencing God, "God works in sequence to accomplish His divine purposes. What He did in the past was done with a Kingdom purpose in mind. What He is doing in the present is in the sequence with the past with the same Kingdom purpose in mind. Every act of God builds on the past with a view toward the future. . . A spiritual marker identifies a time of transition, decision, or direction."
So, the "empty nest" is a time to transition to the "fulfilling next". What's in your past that you can use to fulfill your future? What dusty dreams do you still hope to achieve?
For example, I recently spoke at a Mothers of Preschoolers Event. I met a woman who was on a brand new adventure. Her children were grown up and long gone from her home. Yet, she held a darling foster daughter in her arms. My new friend told me she had always wanted to nurture abused and neglected children in her home. However, she did not have enough room until her own children went to college. This motivated woman had now transitioned her home into a foster care and loved every minute of it.
Next with a smile and chuckle, she introduced me to her married daughter. This daughter sat beside her bouncing a cooing baby on her lap. Yes - Grandma, foster daughter, grown daughter and granddaughter all attended the same MOPS group.
So, have your kids flown the nest? If yes, it's your time to fulfill the next spiritual marker God places in your life. Let your imagination and dreams soar. Write your book. Finish your nursing degree. Volunteer at church. It's your turn to fly!
My
Prayer for Today:
Father, thank You for this new opportunity to soar into Your eternal purpose for my life. Help me to review my past and discover my new purpose beyond raising my children. Give me the courage to step out into the new adventure that awaits me beyond the empty nest. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Application
Steps:
Spend some time reviewing your life. Make a list of past spiritual markers in your life and consider what they have prepared you to do now. Jot down a few dreams that you would like to accomplish. Then determine to step out in faith to achieve what God's purpose is for you in the future.
Going Deeper
(click here to continue
reading...)
Additional Resources (click here to
continue reading...)
Printable Version (click here
for
.pdf format...)
|
|
|
|
|
