With having 5 kids and a 6 year gap in between the two sets, we've always found ourselves straddling many seasons of parenthood at the same time. We've experienced everything from having a newborn, a toddler, a preschooler, an 11 yr.old and a 14 yr. old at the same time in 1998 to Zach now married, Courtney having her own apartment and Paige graduating from high school, attending college and moving in with Courtney tomorrow.
For all those years in between, there has been constant change, growth, movement, maturing, achieving milestones... Sitting up alone, eating solids, weaning, toddling, riding a 2 wheel bike, losing a first tooth, learning to read, participating in sports, getting 1st jobs, graduating from high school, moving across country, going to college, traveling to Europe, getting married... Moving out on their own.
It's as it should be.
From the moment we give birth, our children set out on a journey that travels out and away from us.
Having spent almost 30 years totally devoting myself to raising children and seeing that I only have four more years left on this "career track" is forcing some mid-life evaluation.
This book: Lost in the Middle: Midlife and the Grace of God, is providing a wonderfully biblical anchor to help with evaluating and interpreting this season of life. This has probably been the most important and life changing book that I've ever read -as it helps apply Biblical truth to the very real struggles of not only mid life aging, but with any trial or disappointment that life hands us - whether a loss of a job,or a disappointing relationship, a dream unfulfilled or an illness suffered.
I'm still slowly working my way (a second time) through the book, lingering long and taking notes and receiving tremendous encouragement from the Lord.
Yes, everything changes...Everything moves... but Him.
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