Empty Nest Update

 Update on empty nesting:

So, I discovered dropping my son at college was the easy part. Coming home and facing the rowing machine in the basement? That was the real challenge.

What I thought would be just a few missed workouts stretched into two full weeks.

​When I finally sat down and grabbed the handle, it all felt strange and unfamiliar. I was starting from scratch.

So, I queued up a rowing class on Apple Fitness+. The coach and the team on the screen jumped into rhythm, whether I was ready or not. A few strokes in, my arms were already burning, my lungs reminding me how long I’d been away, and my legs whispering, “let’s quit while we’re ahead.”

But then something shifted. Their rhythm steadied mine. Their energy carried me forward. And stroke by stroke, I found myself moving again, all the way to the end.
 
You know what? Prayer can feel a lot like that too. Miss a few days and suddenly the silence feels heavy, the words don’t come, and the muscle that once felt strong seems to have gone soft. Even when I finally sit down to pray, it can feel like I’m reintroducing myself to God all over again.
 
But here’s the thing—prayer was never about performance. It’s always been about relationship. Like checking in with an old friend, there might be a little catching up to do, but the love is still there, steady as ever. I often remind myself—and anyone who asks—that if you don’t know where to begin, just start with, “Hey God, it’s me.”

As Meister Eckhart once said, “If the only prayer you can offer is ‘Thank you,’ that will suffice.” And I think he was right.
 
So if you’ve been away from prayer a day, a week, or longer don’t be discouraged. Just stop to take a moment and say hello.

Because God isn’t standing on the dock with a stopwatch tallying absences. God’s already in the boat with you, grinning: “I’m glad you’re here. Grab an oar. Let’s get this started.”