What It Means to Start Again in this Man-Making Business

“You’re starting again?”

I get the same response every time I explain the ages of my six kids: 24, 21, 19, . . . 6, 4, and 3.

“You could be empty nesters, traveling the world, and driving a convertible.”

“Yes,” I nod. “Yes, I could.”

There is nothing wrong with empty nests. Some day I might have one. There is nothing wrong with convertibles. Some day I might rent one! But even more wonderful than peace, and quiet, and time is knowing that our lives have completely impacted the lives of three children. James 1:27 urges us to care for the widows and the orphans. I think God meant it when he said that.

I do a lot with my time. I mentor teenage moms. I serve my church family. I have a radio program. I write blogs. I write books. But I’m most proud of the children I’ve raised to adulthood—children who love God, who give to others, and who are making their own impact on the world. They were my hardest task but are now my greatest joy.

Recently I was reading a devotional book from 1938 titled Leaves of Gold, and I came across this poem:

“Man-Making”

We all are blind until we see
That in the human plan
Nothing is worth the making if
It does not make the man.

Why build these cities glorious
If man unbuilded goes?
In vain we build the world, unless
The builder also grows.
–Edwin Markham

My greatest calling in life is working with God and with my husband to “make” these people. To grow them, and serve them, and pour God into their lives just as cement and steel are poured to make a building’s foundation.

Read the rest of this post on For the Family!

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