My Corner Online

 

Filling in the Nest

*First published May 30, 2014
We've been working SO hard to get as much of our house organized (and cutting down on stuff) since we've became empty nesters that when I saw the fern where the bird's nest was just a few weeks ago almost filled back in, I saw the analogy.

I know it always gives me a twinge to see the house where my bedroom was growing up all changed. I wonder if my boys feel the same way when they visit our house and see the bedrooms that they knew growing up changed. I'm guessing not so much as me because boys aren't as sentimental sappy.

"These things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!"—Habakkuk 2:3 The Living Bible

Habakkuk 2:3 speaks to me today! Since we are in the "get rid of stuff and organize stage" of life, we are trying to get through it as fast as we can so we can have more time for "us."

Instead of having a to-do list every week, our to-do list might be "go for a walk, or go do this or that" and enjoy life. We are working so hard and it just seems we cannot get things done as fast as we would like to and we are exhausted and physically spent.

Everything certainly does happen for us in God's timing and not in our own. Although this verse most likely refers to waiting for Jesus to come again (Hebrews 10:35-37), it sure does feel applicable to anything for which we wait.

Can we just get done with all these projects and organizing! I want to enjoy more time taking photographs, blogging, cooking, gardening, scrapping, and all my many other hobbies, as well as studying God's Word and working on new relationships.

What I like the best about this season of my life is that now that the children are gone, hubby and I have more time to focus on each other and we are realizing all those little things that triggered arguments for the last 28 years, and we are learning and growing and changing. We never had the time before or the privacy to work on our own relationship. I've had a lot of revelations! What a great time to get reacquainted with the man I married so long ago.

I am seeing how true it is that couples divorce at this time of their life, but am very thankful we are both choosing to grow closer rather than further apart.

I love that my house stays cleaner and is less cluttered. Oh, to the son with the stinky sneakers, and oh, to the son who brought home stinky animals, and oh, to the son who left all his dirty clothes on the floor!

I have to laugh with the "I didn't do it" person that left our house because now when things mysteriously move in my house, hubby has no anonymous person to blame it on. Giggle.

What I like least about this time is that two of my three children, and my grandchild, live so far away that I do not get to experience much of their life at all anymore. Being sons, they don't communicate well, not even taking time to share many things in their life with me. I think a daughter might be different.

One son is in town, so we spend a time doing for him with his new home or we'll get together to eat out, and sometimes I feel guilty because I do like to keep things even that I do for each child and now that is not the case. I used to take great strides to treat them all equally and it worked as they never had sibling rivalry. Now I have to tell myself "it's okay" and retrain my thinking.

One wise lady once told me that it is hard to see each stage of our life go by, but the next stage is always as great as the one before. So far, she was spot on right!