Empty Nest

Then Laban replied to Jacob, "These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks—in fact, everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and their children? (Genesis 31:43 NLT)

My oldest child is getting ready to graduate from college this year.  She will be receiving a two-year degree, with hopes of continuing on to further education.  My other two children are currently in high school.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that Traci and I are not far away from the "empty nest" stage of life.  Wow.  Time really does fly by.

I've watched many families go through this stage of life and, of course, experienced it through the eyes of a child.  While it wasn't my experience, many families struggle through this stage where children transition from childhood to adulthood.  Parents will talk about how their child became a "know it all" while the child will say, "they just don't understand me."  The reality is that neither one might be true.

Often times, we parents know the transition our children are going through.  We lived it ourselves.  The struggle is that we don't want our children to go through it.  We want them to stay little, cute, and dependent on us.  At the very moment we should be celebrating our children making the rite of passage into their own homes, marriages, and families; we try to hold on instead.

That's what Laban did.  He spent 20 years trying to hold on to his daughters through trickery and deception.  The problem was, he never allowed his little girls to transition into grown women in his mind.  They were still his daughters, his grandchildren, and his money...none of which was true once they married Jacob.  They were in a new household now.  They were part of a new family now.  They were all grown up.

Let your children grow up.  It's a good thing that they want to learn how to stand on their own two feet.

Let your parents provide wisdom.  It's a good thing that they are willing to share what they've learned over their years of experience. 

Let's enjoy the season of life God has given us...for every season He provides.