I mentioned yesterday that my husband and I attended a wedding on Saturday. During the ceremony the preacher encouraged the guests to give some encouragement to the bride and groom as they greeted them after the ceremony.
When my husband and I got to the couple my husband told the couple that we had become Empty Nesters this last weekend. He went on to tell them how that while our girls were growing up we had continued to date and make time for each other. Now that this new season has come in our lives it’s not a shock to look up and realize that our children are gone. We prepared them to leave, and we prepared ourselves for their departure. His encouragement to them was to continue to do what they’d done while dating and engagement. He told them not to stop having fun.
Too many couples work so hard to win the other before marriage and then completely let things run on auto pilot after marriage. It may not happen the day after, but as the years progress the relationship digresses because of a lack of serious thought and energy invested in one another. When children come along it’s so easy to make them the complete focus; everything revolves around them. Don’t let that happen! Here are a few ways to keep your focus on your marriage
- Make a regular bedtime for your children and stick to it.
- Don’t start letting your children sleep with you!
- If you’ve already have children in bed with you, start breaking them of it today!
- Keep a regular date night – even if you can only manage it every other week.
- Go away overnight once a year (without the children).
- Attend a couples’ conference.
- Pray together.
- Read biblical books on marriage to keep yourself challenged.
Trust me, the empty nest will come much sooner than you think. Preparation for it begins now. Start feathering the nest so it’s nice and comfy when it’s just the two of you again!
RefreshHer 