6 Cycles of Family The Empty Nest / Launching New Family

6 Cycles of Family 

The Empty Nest / Launching New Family

Rekindle the passion of love

Be a teacher of the next generation by example

of love for God and your spouse

There comes a time when our babies grow up.

A time when the children who have

been our life 24/7, launch out on their own.

Spreading their wings from the dependency of their parents.

Generally, we see it coming but

that doesn’t mean we are ready for it.

Letting go can be hard for some of us.

For the single parent there is the

challenge of finding new purpose.

For the husband and wife it is a time

they have not had for 20 years.

When the nest is empty,

the loud music is gone,

the car is now available,

it takes less time to shop

and do the chores.

The silence at the dinner table

opens our eyes to a new reality.

Loneliness is not the purpose of the empty nest.

I believe Titus 2 speaks to the empty nesters.

He is speaking to the "older", when your nest is

empty you now are older than the next generation.

Paul says in the NLT as a foundation to the older ones…

“As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living

that reflects wholesome teaching.” Titus 2:1-2

“Living” life should reflect what we say.

The Bible teaches…

The older men and women are to be teachers of the younger.

Their lives should be an example.

The parental role is not to be a role of controlling.

There are rules in the nest but when the children

leave the nest they are not under that authority.

“For this cause a man will leave mother

and father and cleave to his wife.”

The empty nester is to become a teacher.

A teacher who has gained respect

and models what they teach.

Paul majors on the role of teaching on marriage,

 teaching on love in the marriage.

For the empty nesters this may be a

challenge if the dinner table is silent.

The flame of love that existed before the children can

become only a spark when the nest is empty again.

Fires take work to keep burning.

The fire or passion we had for the Lord

and our spouse take constant attention.

It is not enough to teach our children

when they get married to love each other.

Or, to tell them to go to church and love God.

The empty nesters need to model passionate love.

Maybe it is time to fan again

into flame the passionate love.

The love for God and the love for our spouse.

 

  

There are 6 cycles for a family to navigate 

“Cycles of family life”

The marriage

Bearing children

Raising children

The empty nest / launching new family

The declining years

Death in the marriage

Family cycles should be a great experience for the whole family

Scripture Reading

Titus 2:1-5 NLT

As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. 2 Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.

3 Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. 4 These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, 5 to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.