Can I Really Trust God With My Kids?

by Amanda Christopher

I have four kids. My oldest will turn 8 next week, and my youngest turned 1 last month. Because my two toddlers still require so much help and attention, it’s easy for me to think my other two kids are more grown than they are.

I’ll tell you this though - nothing snapped me out of that quicker than my second grader telling me yesterday on the way home from school that her class had a lockdown drill- what they were supposed to do in the event an active shooter enters the school. (Don’t worry, this isn’t a political post. You can keep reading.)

She didn’t use the words “active shooter.” It sounded like her teacher did a great job explaining it without giving unnecessary information that would only serve to scare the kids. But as I looked at her little face in my rearview mirror while she was telling me about it, I thought, why is my baby having to think about this?

She was anxious. She began asking questions- what if that happens at our school? What if I get hurt? What if I have nightmares about it? As her fearful thoughts flowed out, I felt my own anxiety growing. And just like the serpent whispered lies into Eve’s heart in the garden, a voice in my mind began whispering to me: Is God really good? Does he really love me? Does he really love my kids more than I do? Does he really care?

It’s easy as a parent to worry about every possible danger my kids could encounter. I could live in a state of constant anxiety and paranoia. I could show my kids that life is scary, not rich and full, and worse, that God can’t be trusted.

My first response was to tell my daughter that her school has worked hard to keep them as safe as possible. But then I reminded her, and myself, of what I know to be true, even when my own heart doubts.

God IS good.
He DOES care about us. He cares about our fears. He knows every worry.
He loves us. We know he loves us because he sent his son Jesus for us.
And if he would send his son, would he hold back any other good thing from us?

I went on to say, like we talk about often with our kids, that our world is broken by sin. Bad things happen. People hurt other people. But for those who are in Christ, our Heavenly Father can use broken, bad things for good. He can and does redeem the most horrible of circumstances for his glory, and for the good of his people. We can trust him with our lives.

God is great – so I don’t have to be in control. I pray I live and parent in a way that shows it to be true.