By 
It has been 45 years since I first became a mother. I will never forget the moment I held my daughter, her sweet little face and endless dark eyes staring up at me. I was instantly in love.
When they packed me up to head home, I held that swaddled bundle tight and the heaviness of responsibility pressed hard. But we made it through those first weeks, and my heart expanded each time God blessed us with another child. Eventually we were a family of eight.
As a stay-at-home mom, my days were defined by laundry, grocery lists, church, and sports’ schedules. Though there were seemingly endless days and some sleepless nights, caring for my family brought me joy, purpose, and satisfaction. In a way, it defined me. It was great, and hard, and I loved it.
However, the joy of being a mom comes with a bittersweet chaser: it is a seasonal occupation, with the goal of working yourself out of a job. While I managed to stretch my season out a bit longer than most, I have now been an “empty nester” for 10 years. Emotionally, this was the most difficult time for me. As each of my children left our home to begin their new adventures, a piece of my heart went too, and I missed them keenly. I knew this was right and good, the way it was supposed to be, yet it was painful. With sadness I watched my last child venture off, aware that my life was forever changing.
I missed the busy rhythm of our lives, the urgency and direction that was necessary, the huge, color-coded calendar on my fridge, the laughter teenagers piled into the backroom with dozens of cookies and gallons of chocolate milk. I knew there was purpose in what I did, and that purpose would span the distance between the end of this season and the beginning of the next; but it was unclear what it would look like. Emptiness filled my home and my heart.
I prayed. I sought the loving face of my Heavenly Father and asked Him for comfort, wisdom, and direction as I looked at the seemingly blank canvas stretched out in front of me. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being (Ephesians 3:14-16, ESV).
God put my family together according to His divine purpose, and He named it! I cried out to Him and He reminded me that in His Spirit, the riches of His glory would be my strength. I could face the new as I treasured the past in my heart.
As I broadened my world, doors opened to volunteer to teach, to serve, and to mentor, utilizing gifts that I had honed over the years. God brought new opportunities to study and write, to attend classes and conferences, things that filled me with joy. 1 Peter 4:10 (ESV) beckoned: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace.
My relationship with the Lord deepened as I was able to spend extended time in His Word, reading, writing, and teaching other women. Date nights with my husband came around much more often; quiet evenings at home were becoming ritual.
And then there were the grandbabies. One by one those bright little lights brought sweet sunshine to my family. My adult children, some of whom had moved far away, seemed closer as the “mom, I need your advice, support, wisdom” calls became more frequent. As our family moved from 8 to 26, my role expanded to include mother-in-law to 6 and grandma to 12. These are my people, my favorite people. Nothing brings me more joy than to sit in the middle of our big, loud, active family and smile.
Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord.
—Psalm 128:1-4, ESV
God turned my mourning into dancing and filled my heart to overflowing.
God is good, all the time!
“For he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.”
—Luke 1:48-50, ESV
Nanette Smith
A transplanted Texan, Nanette Smith spent most of her life in western Pennsylvania where she and her husband Tom raised their 6 children. When not homeschooling her children or helping her husband run his construction business, Nanette volunteered with Samaritan’s purse, crisis pregnancy centers, and served as Women’s Ministry Director. In 2013 God moved Nanette and her family to Texas and she attended her first Womenary class in 2016. Currently Nanette works as the Missions Coordinator at Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview, TX. When not working or playing with one of her 11 grandchildren, Nanette enjoys reading, writing, photography and baking. 
