Saturday, November 15, 2014

Jesus In The Empty Nest

 If Jesus were to write a resume' the business of  binding broken hearts would certainly be on it. Jesus came to serve, not to be served and He still serves on the earth binding broken hearts with the Divine Helper, the Holy Spirit!

 The holidays are upon us again and thought I would re-post this for those of us who struggle with either empty nest or  loneliness . 

Lately, I have realized that  it is not always the thing on the outside that crushes the heart but a heart can faint, fail, misfire because of what is going on inside. As a singled mother of many years to 3 sons, now grown, I focused the majority of life on my sons. Keeping them involved in those things that would bring healthy growth and filling what could have otherwise been idle minds and hands.
Out of that kind of concentrated living as one who embraced motherhood responsibilities I knew I was the utmost important person in their lives. My life was full and I found self-worth and value in being their mother.

As my sons grew up and into careers, wives and homes of their own my motivation for anything began to drain. Being their mother had been the driving force in my life. Instead of maintaining a daily lectio divina with the Holy Spirit guiding me through this difficult time  I no longer had my motivating drive. Every good thing I did, I did for them and because of them. They were my supreme motivating factor. Otherwise I was slain by life. My ardent prayer had always been  God help me to be the kind of mother You would have me be.

In looking back I realize some of the times I got sidetracked. Always by my own human frailty. Yes, I smile, there were mistakes and after a few years of sorrow at seeing them I realize these were also part of the whole picture that God in His great mercy and compassion blessed us through in spite of.  I tried unsuccessfully remarriage rather than concentrating on healing. I was too desperate. Still, He allows me to see the great good that was accomplished because of His love in me and His light in our lives. The reality of my imperfectness does not blot out what by His power alone was accomplished  in our poverty of not only finances but of earthly care from a family unit.

The three of us, however crippled by lack, were rich in love. Our great love for each other and God's great love for us. A love that loved us back.

My life as a mother and a good wife for almost 20 years, and then a single mom with an infant and toddler and adolescent son who are all grown and married by now has thus far been the pinnacle of accomplishment in my life. Motherhood has been my greatest achievement and highest earthly honor.

To become the lone person left in that nest has now become the great challenge of my well being. and the thing that was the source of my greatest strength has become the source of my greatest weakness. My Achilles heel.

Even my heart began to fail me and I have wondered if this experience would be the end of my life on this earth so deep  was the tear to my psyche.
I have done, tried, all the goal setting, the positive life filling things I found to try but have only had periods of time I managed to stay afloat and then would go down for the count for longer and longer periods each time as the loneness of the empty nest covered me like a heavy unwelcomed blanket.

Each time the onset of the holidays brought deeper sinking. Holidays are as you know big family time, and with the standard of wonderful years of  Thanksgivings and Christmas shared in my nest I went under for the count again. This last season proved my lowest point, and then come January, when all the tears had been cried and all the pain had been experienced, and my heart truly failed me, I grasp for the one thing that would save me. I returned to the one thing that always saw me through. A love that loves us back.

My new motivating factor had was now to preserve my life and to not allow my heart to remain in that faint condition. However, at first I didn't realize that Jesus the Mender of Broken Hearts was at work.

In a blog entitled ONE MONTH TO LOVE by Kerry and Chris Shook (same author as New York Times Best Seller ONE MONTH TO LIVE) I began to search for direction I needed to grab hold of my only Savior, Lord Jesus. I went back to week one to begin at the beginning and learned about the ancient practice of Electio Divina. The Holy Spirit used those simple living words to speak and give me much needed guidance. 

Here is the guidance I received:

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.“ Psalm 46:10 (NASB)

My Electio Divina from the Holy Spirit to me, 'Doesn't what you are experiencing lead to strife inwardly and outwardly leaving you miserable and sick in heart? '

YES! YES IT DOES!

I humbly admit...I confess, that after so many years in the exalted role of mother it was that importance, that exaltation, that feeling of love and worth and importance  that women need, that I fearfully held in a grip against the monsters in the mind desiring to take it from me!  Am I making sense at this point?

The bible tells us to, 'Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you in due time'.  This speaks to, Quit STRIVING for honor or to be exalted by your family, or with your friends and at your job. STRIVING is a word full of negative meaning. Strife is what is brought about through striving and I am thankful to be guided by the word of God and the Holy Spirit and a faithful pastor's teaching of how to develop that communing with a holy God through the Lectio Divina.  The teaching  and guidance of the Holy Spirit. I t is the power of God working in my life.

If you are interested in beginning your own ancient method of meditation to receive Holy Spirit guidance through that means here is a free website to help you know how to do that plain and simple.

http://www.kerryandchris.org/2013/01/14/one-month-to-love-day-1/

God's life light to me: 
CEASE STRIVING -- Know that I AM GOD! And--
"Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will exalt you in due time."  Humilty isn't an 'act', humility is an action.

This may all seem quite over the top for many but I assure you for the one who goes through the situation as with a Through devastating trials God brought me to this moment. I am strong in Him alone for in Him the weak are made strong. I am thankful that God is faithful.


Find the GOOD thing to do, and do it! If any of these words helps just 1 person to be helped then I praise a Holy God with you and exalt in His love, a love that love us back. 



If Jesus were to write a resume' the business of  binding broken hearts would certainly be on it. Jesus came to serve, not to be served and He still serves on the earth binding broken hearts with the Divine Helper, the Holy Spirit! Beautiful.


Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,  ~~  Jesus even cares about broken hearts.

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