September 24, 2026

Empty Nest Time for God

I have talked with many people who are afraid of an impending empty nest.  I just smile because I know they are standing n the precipice of paradise.  God gives us children as presents wrapped in loud and gaudy paper!  Quiet or loud, they delight our days and we are blessed to watch them mature into amazing people as we push them gently into adulthood. 

Eventually they take off on their own journeys and become our favorite visitors.  As a reward for all that nurturing we did, God gives us an empty nest.  Time to pray every morning.  Bible studies.  Nothing compares with the empty nest.  The children have dreams and goals but we have something we never had before: Me Time.  Long baths.  Lunch with friends.  Book clubs.  Casual time with God. 

Now that my children are grown and most grandchildren live at a distance, silence is easier. I hear more birds, more soft music and experience a lot more quiet peace. But it’s wasted time if I don’t use this peaceful quiet to listen for God’s voice. He speaks as often as I choose to listen. He even sings to me and celebrates our time together. I so love this phase of life!

Quiet time with the Lord is how we learn to recognize His voice. If we learn to hear Him and listen during non-chaotic times, we will be able to hear His promises and comfort when times get rough. In the midst of trouble, let His voice be the only voice we hear.

In the quiet, in the early morning hours, just rest with God. Thank Him for the beauty of each new day. Thank Him for a peaceful life, where we rarely have to hide from war, or scavenge for food. We are blessed and blessed again. Be grateful. Pass on the love.

I think in silence we find the center of our relationship with God. In silence we see the beauty of creation more clearly, we hear the music of an earth creating and being, and we hear the sounds of Heaven, angels’ wings, overflowing love and especially the voice and essence of God. The symphony He sings in our thoughts is only possible when we purpose to draw close to Him.

Lord God, You are complete joy.  Your love surrounds me and I am blessed to watch our relationship evolve.  We are becoming friends.  I can tell You when Bible stories upset me.  I can listen for Your reasons for blessing Joseph, for trusting David when I would have hung onto that Bathsheba thing longer.  You helped me understand what it meant to You to call David a man after Your own heart.  You see beyond the surface.  You are a God of second chances.  My heart expands as I learn from Your heart.  Thank You for blessing us with prayer time and love at this special season of life. 

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.  Romans 6:14