Don't hold this against me.  I am a recovering "fatheraholic".  Just three weeks ago our last child, our daughter, was married and left our nest.  She is now Mrs. Cain and lives in Texas - in a land far, far away. 

I am an empty nester.  I hate the sound of that.  It eats up the sounds of laughter, tension, joy, and the busyness brought on by the daily bump and thump of family sorts, hiving and thriving together.  As a parent it is not adequate to say, "I miss her".  Some of the breath my wife and I breathe can no longer be inhaled.

But, we still have a full house.  My wife, myself and the Lord ( and of course the animals - Waffle the dog, Bravo the cat {doing her best to become the world's fattest cat} and Alpha the soon to be leaving cat belonging to Kristin).  Nearly thirty years ago, before our first achievement in "familyhood", it was just the two of us - and the Lord.  Now it is that way again.  We are still at the stage when we cannot tell if it is a curse or a blessing, as Lois and I love our children so much. 

I have been told that there is a hidden ace up the sleeve that dispels any lingering gloom.  Grandchildren!  Yep, that'll do it!  It starts all over - the chaos, the noise, new love and another cheer for the joy of propagation.   Each child is a renewed blessing and a guarantee that God has not given up on this world.   Like a rainbow, God promises us that He will be with our children, our children's children and so on. 

It is not over, it is expanding.  Our house is not empty, it just got too small for our family.  If we have taught our children correctly, that Jesus is Lord of all, then there are more mouths to sing His praises, more opportunities to witness His life and love, to more people who need Him.  Long after the light goes out in this house and I depart from this world, those who came from my wife and I will be mighty oaks growing in this world.  They call that Heritage.  It is an enduring gift of God that will only be seen when we all get to Heaven.  What a day of rejoicing that will be.