Empty Nest Full and Blessed a 5 -Day Reading Plan by Denita ArnoldSample

DAY TWO: WHEN YOU FEEL ALONE AND AFRAID

Morning came, and the alarm sounded. I shut it off and just laid there because very quickly, I was reminded there was no one for me to go and awaken. All those years of the morning hustle and bustle to get up, get going and get out the door had ended. I realized my mornings would never be the same again.

The house was quiet. There was no one to call my name, pack a lunch for, or help find the missing piece of a uniform. In what seemed like a blur, thirty-one years of my life just got up and walked out the door. My five children disappeared into their new beginnings, tossing me into an unfamiliar empty house. I felt so alone and afraid, not knowing what to do next.

But in that very moment, I felt God minister to my heart. Deuteronomy 31:8 says the Lord God Himself will go before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid, and do not be discouraged." Just like God was with the Israelites in their new season, God was with me, and He will also be with you as you enter your empty nest season. He has gone before us.

Not only does God say he will never leave you nor forsake you, but he also says do not be afraid. We can release our fear, believe God's word, and accept He is near. Why? Because He says so.

That same day, I got up and wrestled with going about what I felt would be a lonely day. I was afraid of how long of a day it would be and just how many I would experience. Soon enough, the phone rang. On the other end of the line was a friend checking in on me. God knew who and what I would need that day, and He had already prepared someone to reach out to me. He will put people in our lives to minister to our hearts.

God going ahead showed me that I wasn't alone at that time, and it eased my fear and loneliness. It's a kind reminder that we can trust God in the seasons left behind and in the seasons we are entering. Every season belongs to Him. He is in control, and we don't have to give in to fear.

- How has God gone before you in this newly empty nest season?

- What evidence is the most encouraging and why?

- Journal your gratitude to God for how He has provided when you feel lonely or afraid.