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Becoming an empty nester presents many unexpected challenges, especially when we have been used to living in a home bustling with children. For years, our calendar was marked with school projects, sporting events, youth groups, and family meals around the table. Now we have an abundance of free time, and we want to steward it well.
You may wonder about what comes next. You may be questioning how to fill your time, and you may be a little nervous, missing the children you have dedicated so much of your time and energy to caring for.
Whether they moved on to college, marriage, or to their own dwelling, it’s hard to miss the sounds of a full house. I understand how hard the empty nest stage of motherhood can be. It comes all too soon! In the Old Testament, Hannah wanted a son so badly that in 1 Samuel 1:11, she vowed to “give him to the Lord all the days of his life.” Because of her vow, when she finally had a son, he had to move to another city. She had to love him across many miles.
While the love for our children will never go away, consider that now may be the perfect time to open your heart to those outside your family. What a perfect opportunity to minister to and encourage others. It will also bless you to create new, meaningful relationships. Take some time to pray about these questions:
Listen for the Lord to lead you. Be persistent and prayerful. And keep your heart open for new ideas, places, and people to serve that you may not have considered before.
It might be discipling another woman in the faith. Taking meals to families in need. Hosting a small group in your home. Volunteering at your favorite non-profit. Sitting with patients during chemotherapy. Speaking to mom groups at church. This new free time is yours to manage. Make it count.
God, help me take advantage of every opportunity to tell, write, and share with my children how much I love them. Help me remember to continue encouraging them from afar. And guide me as I look for new opportunities to use my free time to minister to and show kindness towards others. I want my life to always be about serving you and blessing those around me. Amen.
RENEWING RESOURCES:A Mom After God’s Own Heart - Be equipped with the tools you need to live out God's priorities in your marriage, family, spiritual journey, and ministry.
How can I best use my new free time to be a blessing and encouragement to others?
If your heart is filled with concern for God’s people, you’ll be privileged to refresh and encourage many.
Even though our kids aren’t under our watchful eye, they can still be covered by our prayers.
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
How did men and women in the Bible accomplish great things for God? There wasn’t any secret formula or bestselling book on success for them. In fact, they were ordinary people like you and me. What made them effective was their willingness to obey God—one decision at a time.
