Embracing the Empty Nest- Redefining Your PurposeSample

Day 2: ACCEPTANCE

When I finally accepted that my children were actually walking into adulthood, I also had to accept that it was time for them to walk in the gifts and calling God had purposed for them. Along the way, there were painful moments as the Holy Spirit revealed how I had directed and coddled them. I had made many decisions for them before adulthood, often overlooking their thoughts and feelings, or sometimes focusing too much on their emotions and not enough on the facts. You may find yourself in a similar situation.

The acceptance was a little tougher when my son moved out of state a couple of years later after my daughter. We had reached a difficult crossroads in our relationship. He was truly my best friend, yet I found myself both directing and enabling him at the same time. In full honesty, I had no idea that night when he left the nest to drive 18 hours away that we would experience seasons of not speaking for weeks at a time. It became clear that God was growing him up to allow him to embark on his journey of self-discovery. As the tears flowed that night the Lord placed Ecclesiastes 3:1 on my heart:

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

The enemy attempted to burden me with guilt and shame for struggling to accepting how I was as a parent. For my own mental sanity, prayer and being led by the Holy Spirit were the only ways I made it through the toughest part of that season.

When I finally took the time to grieve and accept this new season, I was overwhelmed by God’s love and grace. In those quiet moments between us, I had to reassure myself that the Lord would lead us into all truth.There were so many scriptures to give me peace but the ones that I focused on were:

Deuteronomy 31:8 The LORD will lead you. He himself is with you. He will not fail you or leave you.

Or Romans 8:14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

As my son began walking in his true purpose, the impact was felt universally. I vividly remember the day he accepted his dream job and said, "This is what it must mean to walk in your purpose." In that moment, I also came to accept that maybe I hadn't done such a bad job as a parent after all. None of us are perfect, but we do the best we can with what we've been given.

Your relationship may not go through the tough season that mine and my son's did. It's time to accept this new season and the plans God has for you! Don't be afraid of change; embrace it. It might be hard at first. You may need to sit with your grief for a while, have your feelings heard and validated, and seek support from friends and family in similar situations. It’s clear that accepting and embracing this season is essential.

Prayer:

Numbers 6:24-26 NIV:

The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn His face toward you
and give you peace.