16 I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. 17 I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, 18 I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. 19 I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God.
20 Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us; 21 glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen. (Eph 3:16-21, CEB)
Joy and grief, if ever there were two words to summarize what it is like to be a parent. On the one hand, there is almost nothing that has brought me more joy than being a parent. At the same time, at least for me, at times there has been almost nothing harder than being a parent.
Many of you know that as of last week, my wife Jill and I officially entered the empty nest season of life. As we dropped our youngest off at college, so many feelings and thoughts have been rushing through my heart and mind. Through it all I am reminded just how close together joy and grief live.
It has been said of parenting, “the days are long, but the years are short.” Jill and I have said from the beginning we’ve wanted to raise them in such a way that they are eventually able to step out and up and become more independent. But when that day comes it is still hard to let go and let grow.
For those parents like me who are struggling today, I hope that Paul’s prayer will grow our faith. I pray we can grasp the width and length, and height and depth of God’s love for our kids. May we realize that in loving our kids, God is also showing God’s love to us. For those who are not parents, may God reveal this kind of love in other ways, through friends and family and even through God’s creation. In order that we may “be filled entirely with the fullness of God.”
In these bittersweet moments of life, may we be reminded of God’s faithfulness to the generations before us, faithfulness to us today, and faithfulness for the future.
I invite us to pray:
Lord, we thank You for the joy and grief that accompany the journey of life and parenthood.
Dwell in our hearts through faith, nurturing strong roots of love that can comprehend Your limitless grace.
Guide us and fill us with the fullness of God, revealing Your love in every moment, beyond what we can ask or imagine.
In the bittersweet seasons of life, may Your faithfulness bind us together and empower us, now and forever. Amen.
-Pastor Shawn