Today is a sad day at our house.

Nothing tragic or bad has happened, but Monieca and I are experiencing a certain amount of sorrow and grief. Let me explain.

Yesterday morning we drove Jacqueline, Evan, and Liam to the airport. For those who don’t know, that is our daughter, her husband, and our only grandchild. Evan is in the Air Force and they are moving to a base in Italy for four years. They’re excited and looking forward to this adventure. They’re young and excited about seeing the world. We get it and we’re happy they will have some new and wonderful experiences.

You get where our sadness comes from…we’re going to miss them. Talking to Liam via Skype is not the same as a hug.

At the same time, however, we’re excited. There are aspects of the empty nest we absolutely love. We actually enjoy being together and love each other more now than when our journey together began.

I often tell young couples to take care of their marriage…to date each other, make time for each other, to take one vacation a year without the kids…don’t let the kids sleep with them…don’t put the kids ahead of their spouse…etc.

We always left our kids with their grandparents and cousins in Kentucky for one or two weeks each summer while we spent time traveling or at home together. They developed relationships with their extended family and we nurtured our marriage. Doing so prepared us for today.

Too many couples are not ready for the empty nest because they neglect their marriage while raising their children. They make the kids number one. The Bible tells us to cling to our spouse, not our kids. Doing so does not mean we love our kids less than we should. It means we love our spouse as we should.

If you’re still raising your children, the day is fast approaching when your job will be done and they will leave you. I know the joke…but they’ll be back. Still the day is coming when your nest will be empty. When that day comes, your marriage will be what you are making it today.

Pastor Steve Hogg