Holding our Children's Hearts

Since placing a Bible under my sons' pillows at night won't result in an instant download of understanding God's unwavering love, grace, and truth, I've had to learn to be creative in how I teach, instruct, and how I nurture the souls of my boys.   Ultimately their hearts and souls will burn with flames of their own choosing, but as a mom, I can sure place some quality kindling while I have the opportunity.

And really, our children's hearts are the most precious possessions that any parent holds knowing this possession is short lived as our children grow, mature, and make choices of their own.  We don't possess their hearts for long, especially if we don't love and tend their hearts well.  We have the power to break hearts, mend hearts, grow hearts, and shape hearts.  We must fight for hearts.

Raising Heroes

This past week has been a muddy rainbow of sorts.  It's been gloriously bright and beautiful as our family has cherished so many small yet loving and peaceful Holiday moments together.  Yet dark colors muddle and confuse our joy as we grieve and pray for the families of Sandy Hook who lost 26 people, mostly children, in an act of evil violence at the elementary school.

Every mother I know is rocked to her very core.  We are hugging our kids tighter, longer, and whispering even more prayers over their precious heads as we send them out the door each morning to the bus that drives them away from our hovering protection and into a scary world.

Cliff and I wanted to be the ones to tell our children about this tragedy before they heard misinformation anywhere else.  We wanted to give our slant first by giving the basic information then allowing them to process this in their own time, asking questions then allowing us to answer to the best of our abilities.

Evan, our middle and most introspective son, ponders long, feels deeply and asks the impossible questions that cause me to feel inadequate and nervous.  I keep God on prayer speed dial as I desperately seek immediate wisdom, discernment, and the right words for his questions.  Answers that are honest.  Answers that causes him to think and reason.  Answers that always lead to God's amazing love and sovereinty.   Answers of resolution, appropriate for an 11 year old on life's challenging and confusing subjects.  Pain.  Death.  Loss.  Abuse.  Betrayal.  Kidnappings.  Animal cruelty.  Starvation.  Sex.  Love.  Relationships.  Eternity.  Dreams.

Evan.  "Mom, I'm really bothered by the shootings."