By the time we moved at the end of 2020, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I’d painted three bathrooms, three bedrooms, the kitchen cabinets, and all the baseboards as we prepared to sell our home. Not only did our home hold a decade and a half of memories, it housed all the stuff we’d accumulated over fiftteen years and everything our older children left behind when they transitioned to adult life. I still can’t believe we finally emptied the unfinished basement and cleaned out the garage.
Although I was excited to be in our new house and neighborhood, and the winter months gave me a good excuse to stay home and settle in, it was slow going. The unpacking and organizing moved along at a snail’s pace; the preceding months had burned me out soul-deep.
Because I tend to be goal-driven, this breathing room honestly made me uncomfortable. Shouldn’t I be doing something important or tackling a big project? But all along, I felt the Lord offering a period of rest that I needed to accept.
Little did I know how that period of rest and space to breathe would prepare me for what was next.
Over the past few months, I’ve had the renewed capacity to open my mind and life to new opportunities and interests. I’ve been asked to speak out-of-state at two women’s events. Speaking is something I’ve considered for a while, and the invitations feel like a sweet confirmation. I also want to try my hand at writing fiction, which according to my new account at thestorygraph.com, is what I read 94% of the time. I’m listening to podcasts and reading books about writing fiction — it’s so fun! Later this month I’ll attend a writers conference with workshops on topics like point-of-view, story structure, and the art of storytelling.
I feel the Lord’s gentle nudge as He shows me fresh ways to use the gifts He’s given while glorifying Him in the process. It’s both exciting and scary.
My husband and I are inching ever closer to the empty nest years. At the moment we only have two daughters at home. Our 22-year-old works and is about to go back to school and our 17-year-old is a high school senior with a part-time job. After years of living with a full and busy household — and all the sports, classes, and sleepovers that eight children have brought into our life — now there are days the puppy and I are the only ones at home.
Some women look forward to their empty nest years but I have dreaded them. I enjoy my children and it’s nice they’re older and independent after years of being responsible for babies and toddlers. They run errands for me now instead of vice versa. They’re funny and delightful and we can have mature conversations. But they will leave someday and I need to be ready for it.
One day recently I realized how my new interests of speaking and writing fiction will work well with quieter days and I could envision a future shaped by them. Unexpectedly, a word came to mind: thrive. In that moment, I felt the Lord’s assurance that our home will not become lonely, but a place where I can flourish. It transformed my thinking. Slow, quiet days no longer feel empty but full of promise — I wish I could squeeze more hours from each day and fill them with all the things I want to do.
We often approach new life stages and paths we haven’t walked with apprehension and uncertainty, but we shouldn’t be afraid: God has a plan for us.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Do you ever resist areas that might be part of your calling because they feel uncomfortable or you don’t know if you’ll excel? I do. But this approach implies the strength for the journey begins and ends with us, and that’s not how God works. Where He calls us to go, where He invites us to try, where He leads us to trust, God will provide what we need.
Dear Lord, help me trust You to lead and support me through life’s changes and to recognize the guidance of the Holy Spirit you placed within me. Give me eyes to see and a heart to seek Your plan for my life and help me to thrive in it. Amen.
Bomi says
“Dear Lord, help me trust You to lead and support me through life’s changes and to recognize the guidance of the Holy Spirit you placed within me. Give me eyes to see and a heart to seek Your plan for my life and help me to thrive in it. Amen.”
– Amen, Amen, Amen!
So excited for you as you embark on this new chapter! I could feel your excitement leap off the screen, and I am also excited to see all that God has in store for you! May God bless it, and May God continue to use you to be a blessing to others.
Well done Dawn, and ENJOY! 🙂
Bomi
Dawn Camp says
Thank you, Bomi! I think we can get a little freaked out by change — I certainly can — but I think we need be open to the opportunities God gives us.
Ruth Mills says
Ditto Bomi’s comments! Great encouragement, Dawn! May we all be content in God’s provisions from 1 season to another. Blessings!
Dawn Camp says
Thank you, Ruth!
Irene says
Thanks for the encouragement, Dawn!
Dawn Camp says
You’re welcome, Irene!
Janet Williams says
Thank you for this message today Dawn. I really needed to “read” this reminder:
“Where He calls us to go, where He invites us to try, where He leads us to trust, God will provide what we need.
And I really needed to pray this prayer:
“Dear Lord, help me trust You to lead and support me through life’s changes”
And never forget this promise..
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. \0/
Dawn Camp says
Thank you, Janet. The future can be confusing but there’s always hope with Him here beside us through it all.
Cheryl Hopkins says
“Me, me, me. I, I, I.” Can’t stand reading this site’s posts anymore. Go fake it ‘til you make it and manifest your silly dreams. Buh bye.
Dawn Camp says
Cheryl, I’m sincerely sorry if my article offended you. I write about whatever is going on in my life; my post archives at (in)courage are snapshots of it for more than a decade. I spent much of 2021 and early 2022 feeling a little sad and directionless. My husband works long hours, our children are getting older (our youngest is a senior), and I spend a lot of time alone; it’s a transition stage many women go through and I have prayed for God to give me direction and show me what’s next. I hoped to offer encouragement to other women who feel a little lost as we approach the empty nest.
A wide variety of ladies read this site (different ages, races, geographic locations, etc.) and a wide variety of ladies contribute here. We just have to write what the Lord leads us to write and hope it reaches the women who need to hear it. None of us take it lightly and we’re all trying to do our best.
Thank you for being here and I hope you stick around and give us another chance to serve you.
linda says
Dawn
Please know I have been encouraged by your kind message of truth about your family life I would love to meet you
and hear your story about your family we are all in a boat somewhere in the middle of the lake navagating this
life may we all do it with kindness and grace for others just as we have received! Keep writing the special
wonderful words of your faith and kindness extended to all of us sisters! Have a peaceful day filled with many
blessings!
linda
Ruth Mills says
Cheryl, I believe we learn the most profound shareable lessons thru our own experiences so the personal pronouns are inescapable. Not all posts & blogs will speak to all of us but there is some nugget of truth that can apply in the majority of what is on this site. I’ve never met any of these authors so I have no standing to judge them as fake. I will continue to read and assume they are real until proven otherwise. If we are called to be heavenly siblings we’ll all be perfected one day but today isn’t it if we’re still able to read and express our opinions on this blog. You have challenged me to be more discerning in personal pronoun use and that’s a worthwhile challenge so thank you for that. Blessings & truth in whatever you encounter!
linda k williamson says
Cheryl
don’t know what is going on in your life today. But this website is to uphold and encourage us all as sisters of faith
please find it in your heart to be kind to others . We all need each other as women and to be one and come together.
we can all find some togetherness.Hope you have a blessed day!
linda
Becky Keife says
Hi, Cheryl,
First-person stories are the hallmark of articles at (in)courage. We believe in going first with our own hard, awkward, often messy stories so that other women will feel known and less alone. I’m so thankful we have a personal God who cares about the details of our lives and who uses imperfect people as vessels to shine a light on His goodness and love. We hope you’ll find encouragement here, but if (in) isn’t the community for you, we wish you all peace and hope in Him.
Warmly,
Becky Keife
Community & Editorial Manager for (in)courage
linda k williamson says
Dawn
Please know I have been encouraged by your kind message of truth about your family life I would love to meet you
and hear your story about your family we are all in a boat somewhere in the middle of the lake navagating this
life may we all do it with kindness and grace for others just as we have received! Keep writing the special
wonderful words of your faith and kindness extended to all of us sisters! Have a peaceful day filled with many
blessings!
linda
Dawn Camp says
Thank you, Linda! Blessings to you.
Robin Dance says
Dawn, first… “Where He calls us to go, where He invites us to try, where He leads us to trust, God will provide what we need.” <-- Amen to infinity and beyond! Beautiful landing for this encouragement that points me to the God who sees, loves, knows, saves, equips us (and so much more). It's important to be careful to make God the focus of everything we share here, and I've seen HIM in this account <3. As your longtime friend and colleague, it is a joy to see you thriving and entering a season with expectation about what God will accomplish in and through you :). Empty nest can be tough; I know it is for many of our readers because they've told us! This encouragement is wonderful, and I'm thankful the Lord led you to share. Cannot wait to read your fiction!!
Dawn Camp says
Thank you, sister!
Donna says
“We often approach new life stages and paths we haven’t walked with apprehension and uncertainty, but we shouldn’t be afraid: God has a plan for us.”
Oh how I needed this today. My current season is so beyond anything I have ever dealt with. God has been so faithful to walk this with me!
Dawn Camp says
Donna, your comment made me think of the quote about how God won’t give us anything we can’t handle. I don’t think He wants us to handle hard things: He wants us to trust and lean on Him. Blessings to you!
Beth Williams says
Dawn,
Congratulations on the speaking engagements. Blessings on your fiction book!! May God continue to bless you@!
I’ve found this to be true for me “Where He calls us to go, where He invites us to try, where He leads us to trust, God will provide what we need.” I never in a million years thought I’d be working in a hospital. Back in 2019 I needed a job & God provided a part-time clerical position in ICU Step down. Fast forward two years & now I’m working full-time as ICU clerical. I quit a fulltime job in June 2015 to care for my aging dad. Then got a part-time job Oct. 2016. My dad passed in 2017 & my father in law passed in 2019. No longer did I have parents to care for. Felt sort of like an empty nester. Kept praying for a way to make more money & use my time better. God provided first a part-time job then when that unit closed He put me in ICU Covid. From there He gave me the ICU Clerical position. God does provide the jobs & knowledge to do them.
Blessings 🙂