What to Tell Your Children

We headed out of town for a holiday getaway to breathe in mountain air on the heels of a story that knocked the wind right out of me. A story that has stopped us all in our tracks and sent a howl to the heavens from every parent who has every cradled their child close. We finished our whirlwind trip and came home down the mountain. Back down from the mountain to the foothills. I can't imagine the valley that some families are in right now. The darkness during the season of lights.

The darkness seems heavier for us all right now. Oh, how we need a great Light.

We snuggle down in bed and I tell the husband that I just don't know how you look your kid in the eye and say...anything...after something like this. I tell him that I am thankful that we have a little one too young to be touched by this.

Because what is there to be said? 

I know that some will prey on this as an opportunity to push agendas- in either direction. The media has sunk it's teeth deep into the story and is exploiting every inch of the horrifying event. There will be many that shake angry fists at empty skies and blame a God too weak or too cruel to do anything. Who could blame them? Children died. Bright eyed, expectant children died days before Christmas in their own school.

There is only one thing to be said.

This world is threadbare, torn by sin and there is a King who came and gave all and will come again to receive His own and heal this old worn out world.  We tell them we have hope. We stand firm on the Gospel and let them know a sure foundation when the world seems unsteady.

This is the only way that we can look our children in the eye. We kneel on their level and we tell them that bad things happen in this world because it needs Jesus so badly. We look them square in the eye and trust the Holy Spirit to do the rest and we say that God doesn't promise safety, but He promises that He saves. We tell them, when they see tears fall from our own eyes, that our world is a scary place, but there is no need to fear what men can do to us.

A couple of rainy, cloudy days have passed the time since last Friday here in my corner of the world. The world is still and quiet and that is what a tragedy can do. It can make us fall silent and believe that God is too. He is not. He was not for the 400 years after Isaiah and before the Bethlehem star. He is not being silent now. He is always and forever writing the story of redemption for our sin shattered souls and this sin sick world. It is booming from pulpits and singing in morning light and children's Christmas pageants. He shines most brightly in the darkest places. Let's tell our children that. Let's tell them the truth about this tragedy.

That it is horrible {and it is}, but God is still good. {and He is}
{Can you see it? That's the Light peeking through}