Grieve for a Season

The Lord is your strength as you mourn the loss of a season.

It's okay to grieve for a season. You have spent approximately two decades pouring into individuals who are now leaving your home. It's okay to take time to mourn that old season's loss. Yes, it's exciting for the kids to move into their adult years, find spouses, graduate college, and land new jobs. It's exciting that our role is complete in "raising them up in the way they should go," according to Proverbs 22:6. But it can also be hard for parents to let go and adjust to the day-to-day without children in the home.

My son played sports from when he was four years old until he graduated college. I spent hours and hours (possibly years have accumulated!) inside a gym or in the stands of a stadium. He played basketball, football, track, soccer, and baseball throughout the years. Many days were spent eating a sandwich in the car, only to drop him off hurriedly across town at a venue for practice or a game. Because both of my older children were multi-sport athletes, I can remember sitting in a gym from 4 pm to 10 pm on many nights during basketball and football seasons. And may I be honest? I did complain some! But as we approached the latter part of their high school years, I began to be aware of the fleeting season I was in. I remember the day he walked across the court and suited up for the last time. And, no matter what way you slice it, it was a sad day.

I remember the day he graduated high school and college, then moved across the United States, married, and moved to the other side of the country. All of those days were equally beautiful and sad. I rejoiced at all the Lord had done as he moved into new seasons of growth and opportunity. And I likewise mourned that the current season was to be no more.

There is a time for everything under the sun, including mourning. Grieve. Take some time to shed the tears. It may prevent you from healthily moving into your new season if you don't. It won't be long before you'll move right into your season and wonder how you had time and energy to raise kids!

Points to Ponder:

• Take some time to reminisce about your favorite childhood memory of your child(ren). What was unique about it?
• How can the Lord use you in this new season to teach other parents about the value of enjoying the season they are in?