As we slip into May spring begins to give way to summer. I will soon celebrate my fifty third year on the Earth and my thirty third year of marriage.

Today, May 1st, our son got married to a wonderful girl. On the 21st he will leave his new wife for boot camp and a Navy career.

In a few short weeks our niece too will wed.

Then later in the month our daughter will be headed out for 5 weeks on a mission trip.

All the while I am looking for a job, continuing to work on a book and personal development project and am involved in a number of ministry events which has been eating the weekends.

My wife, of course, will continue with the demands of her teaching job and supporting me in my search.

If only the world paid us for the many demands it puts upon us I could just continue to do this for a living.

Alas, that is not how the world works.

It is a stressful time, but also a time of growth and change. I have never been one to shy away from a fight and I suspect that is what this month will be to some extent.

Life is on full attack and I must keep my wits about me to parry each blow, to keep in motion and not let it pin me down.

I am sure that many of you are or have gone through times like this in your lives. Much like the videos “When Animals Attack” we must be ever vigilant of what may come at us from any vector.

Furthermore, we must be prepared to take advantage of any opening to gain the upper hand.

Life can conspire to drag us down and if we do not maintain the presence of mind in our situation it is upon us before we realize.

This is, of course, a time of transition for my wife and I. We are fast approaching the empty next phase of life. This impacts us both differently. There is the sure sadness that comes with the absence of our children. But this is mingled with excitement and hopes for their futures.

This is the time in a parent’s life when we move from fostering growth to mentoring wisdom.

As with when we first became parents I am not sure we feel, necessarily, up to the task. We of course hope that we have done a good job raising our children. Yet, we know that they will have to experience the highs and lows of life on their own and make their own decisions on how to react to each new situation. They will have to be prepared when life attacks them.

Earlier this week I found myself slipping into a bit of a depressive state. Fears began to overwhelm me and the many life events on the horizon became daunting.

It is when we are at our most vulnerable that the worst things seem to happen. Things that threaten to drag us further into the abyss.

I have learned over the years that this is the time to reach out, not withdraw. My nature is to withdraw and “tough it out”. But this is often the worst strategy. This is when we need the love and encouragement of others all the more.

As think today about my son’s wedding I am taken back almost thirty three years to my wedding. We were young, too young, and had nothing; made nothing. Yet, good family, good friends and a good God saw us through. We have had many highs and lows in those years but we have weathered every storm.

Now, as life seems to once again be on the attack, I know that strength of character, those in our lives, and God will see me through.

I must stand against the storm and know that when the wind has blown itself out, the rain has released its torrent, and the clouds have cleared, that the next day will dawn bright.