Early Empty Nesting

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 
- Proverbs 3:5

    What a week.  Not only were we preparing for the Ribbon Cutting at the new building, but our son unexpectedly moved out.  We have had James since he was 13 years old.  He was removed from his mother's home and she asked if we would take him in.  So, that's what we did.  He turned 18 last month on the 25th.  We had a great day for his birthday.  We went to breakfast before he left for school, I brought him a cookie cake and starbucks at lunch, and we gave him gifts and took him shopping in the afternoon.  The night before we had dinner at his favorite place to resturant, Ling's Buffet, with the Parker Street Family.  Everything seemed to be going well.  He is half way thru his junior year of high school with his grades improving.  He has been looking to get further involved in the Adult Bible study at the ministry, in order to learn more about God and build stronger relationships with the community.  He has been talking about graduation and college.  For the last six months he has been talking about living in the neighborhood and working with Parker Street Ministries.  Needless to say, we were very excited to see how God was changing his heart.


    God, obviously, is choosing to continue that work in a way that I didn't see coming.  Maybe a year ago I wouldn't have been very surprised by what happened.  
    It was three days after James turned 18 and the day started like any other.  He left for school and told Tim that he was staying after to play basketball, so we weren't expecting him home until after 5:30.  I decided to check his grades online and noticed that he had been marked absent  from all his classes.  Tim told me not to jump to any conclusions, because it could just be a computer error.  It was unlike James to skip school, so I agreed.  I emailed a couple of his teachers and they told me that he had not been at school.  Tim decide to drive over to James' brother's house to find him (we only knew the street he lived on, so Tim was hoping to see James' car).  While he was gone, i was looking in his room and noticed that some things were missing.  Tim didn't see the car and returned home.  We then noticed that the Playstation was gone from the  TV cabinet.  That was confirmation that James had moved out.   We were stunned and sad. He gave us no indication that he was even considering leaving.  We did find the apartment that his brother lived in, but James wouldn't come out.  We went over the next day too, but still he wouldn't come out.  


    It has now been 3 weeks and we still have not heard from James.  He told his mother that he was now 18 and wanted to be with family.   A family that has not pursued him in the last 5 years, even though they live down the street.  A family that didn't want him when he was taken out of his mom's house.  He now has no car, no phone, no job, and no money.  But, he is with his "family".


    I am so glad that I serve a BIG God.  He is bigger than our dumb choices.  I know that He has something big planned for James.  But, it is going to happen in HIS timing, not mine.  We pray for him every day and look forward to the day that God brings him back into our life.  James knows the truth and I know God will be with him.  Psalms 119:11 says, "¹¹ I have hidden your word in my heart 
   that I might not sin against you." I am trusting that God (in His timing) will bring to mind all the scripture James has memorized over the last 3 years of Bible class in school.

Proverb 22:6 - Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Psalms 112:7-8  They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.  Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;