Slideshow image

Almost, Empty Nesters!!

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

How did we get here so quickly!?

Just the other day we were married and now here we are, 28 years later with 3 amazing adult kids, an absolutely mesmerizing daughter-n-love and son-n-love whom we love as if we had birthed them, 2 perfect grandbabies and a brand new 30-year mortgage!! I felt like Bob Barker just said “Come on Down”.

It has not always been easy. We started out as teenage parents who were defying everything that had to do with what our parents wanted for us. Not to mention just placing God on the back burner. Yeah, who needs Jesus? We’re teens, we know everything!!

Right?

Wrong!!!

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

Praise the Lord that we serve a forgiving God who has mercy and can take our flaws and turn them into lessons. All we have to do is ask for forgiveness. Now we’re not talking prison sentence defiance but, little life-altering blips that felt the size of the Grand Canyon at that moment, that changed the course of what we thought we were supposed to look like in the future.

God’s sense of humor leaves you wondering if all of this is one big comedy show so that we will have something to look back on and laugh at when we get older. For me, I’m actually in awe of His Glorious Wonder!

Many years of just sheer “stupidness” ranging from drinking, partying, financial woes, and a whole spectrum of colors that will leave you scratching your head in wonder as to how did they arrive here?

That sweet surprise baby we had as teenage parents turned out to be the one who would lead us to serve God fully. Not just him, I mean we had a whole family and a whole church family who were praying that we would see the light someday.  It’s hard to take your children or have the Grandparents take them because you are too lazy yourself to church and not get something out of it for yourself.

Praise the Lord for pastors who actually preach the Bible and not just the “feel good” parts. Even the parts that make you tuck those pretty painted toes under the pews! There have been times where I pulled mine out from under the pews mangled and bloody! Those were lessons learned.

All of the blips that set us back were lessons that we would need for the future. Watching our children flourish is exciting and being able to give them a little advice every now and then from our lessons learned, prayerfully, can keep them from making them themselves.

So here we are, 47 and 50. Looking at each other and learning how to be married without children for the first time in our married life. Continuing to date each other and relearning about each other’s likes, dislikes, and what these new feelings that we are having for each other are all about. We pray daily for each other and for this “first-time buyers' New Mortgage” that we will be paying on until we are 75. The one thing we do know is that we will continue to serve the Lord, our church and be teachers to a younger generation. This will also keep us young at heart and mind because these kids will keep you on your toes!!!

So, bring your children to church and let them be kids. Let them be loud! Let them ask the hard questions that make you pull out your bible frequently and search for the perfect lesson-learned answers.

Nicole Farmer