I’m a semi empty-nester. An empty-nester because my three children are grown and gone. Even Michelle, my special needs daughter, no longer lives at home. However, I’m a semi empty-nester because I’ve practically raised my grandsons, Jay and Luke, ages 12 and 10 respectively. They belong to my daughter, Jamie, who lives only ten minutes away and has had to work full time since the coming of her firstborn. Grandma (that’s me) has been her childcare provider since the birth of her boys. But at 12-years-old, Jay hardly needs a baby-sitter anymore, so the boys have started staying home by themselves. However, I home-school them, so come the first day of school, they’re back at my house. Even then, they’re fairly self-sufficient, and work independently in their studies. That’s why I’m a semi empty-nester.
And boy have I gotten spoiled. This summer, for the first time in 32 years, my time has been my own. And the more time I have to enjoy my own activities, the more time I’ve committed to my relationship with Jesus. I’ve spent more time in prayer and the Bible then ever before, and that’s spoiled me, too. It’s made me realize something vital. That time with the Lord has empowered me with the wisdom I need to handle the day-to-day challenges of life in a way that pleases God. And the more I know that my decisions please God, the greater my desire to please Him. Then I recalled the years spent taking care of children, and how I ran from early morning to late at night. My prayer time was sporadic and my Bible time was limited. (I probably prayed 2-5 minutes a day and read my Bible 2-3 times a week. Sadly, that is more time than most Christians spend with the Lord.)
Then on August 2, I drove to Kansas (an 11-hour drive one way) to pick up my two youngest granddaughters, Kyndall and Tobie, ages 4 and 3 respectively. They’ve outgrown naps (Aah! A Grandma’s nightmare!) and are incredibly active at their ages. In addition, they need constant supervision. And I was going to have them for two whole weeks.
Well, the past few months, I’ve grown incredibly close to the Lord, and I didn’t want to go back to sporadic prayer time and intermittent Bible reading. I’ve learned to cherish that special time with the Lord, and He said to me, “Marj, you need time with me more than you need that extra sleep.” So I decided to set my alarm for six o’clock and get up early. It’s been difficult spending quality time with the Lord and taking care of two little ones all day, but I don’t regret giving up a little sleep in order to pray and read my Bible. It’s made me far more loving and patient with my young granddaughters than I ever would have imagined. My only regret is that I didn’t recognize the value of maintaining a close relationship to God when my children were little. It would have made me a much better mother. However, it’s never too late to start developing that kind of relationship.