We Filled Our Empty Nest LOI 1987-9

Harvey and Ruth Rodger, former missionaries to Colombia, attend Congress Avenue Bible Chapel in Rochester, New York. This article was written by Ruth for the Sept. 1987 issue of Letters of Interest.

Intro

I remember that September day well. School had started. But for the first time in 20 years the school bus didn't stop at our house. No new clothes set out. No lunches packed. No soothing of "first-day jitters." No calling out, "Hurry, the bus is coming!"

Our youngest daughter was going

Our youngest daughter had left for college. Suddenly, my "nest" was very quiet. Uncomfortably so. It's not that I had nothing to do, quite the contrary. But there was a different feeling about it. My schedule no longer revolved around soccer practice and play rehearsal, ball games and bus schedules.

I'd been telling myself for sever-al months that I could handle it. After all, I'd always thought of women who experience the "empty nest syndrome" as slightly neurotic types, women with not enough to keep them busy, clingy mothers not willing for children to become independent. But I was neither idle nor neurotic, and I still had that tell-tale lump in my throat, and a growing realization that the door which just slammed shut in our lives would not be reopened.

When you've been a mother for 25 years, mothering becomes a life-style, a habit. It's not an easy habit to break, this "being needed," Then I began to see how a very loving heavenly Father had been preparing me for this shifting of gears and had softened the blow.

This began "by accident"

Over several previous years the Lord began to develop for us a ministry among college students. There are several colleges and universities in our city, and a number of their students found our little chapel. Some came from assembly backgrounds and had looked specifically for an assembly in which to fellowship. They in turn invited others who were trying to find a good church. Some simply stumbled onto us "by accident" (if there are any accidents in God's plan of things).

As they came, just one or two at first, and then gradually more, we invited these students home for dinner — not only for that day, but for whenever they could come after that. For some, a standing invitation to Sunday dinner meant the difference between coming back to the church or not. We also provided transportation for those who needed it, either going ourselves to get them, or having other students or church members do it. The more people involved, the better."

Sources

• Letters of Interest (LOI): 1987-9