Children and Loss

As our hearts break and our minds try to comprehend the events of last week in Connecticut, we need to be ready to answer the questions our children might have about death and tragedy. While there is no perfect answer or a textbook method to follow, we can...
1. Remind our children that they are loved, they are safe and God is always with them. My mom taught me as a preschooler to memorize Psalm 56:3, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." Teaching children to memorize Scripture is one of the greatest gifts we can give them. God will bring these verses back to their minds during times of tragedy.
2. Admit that we do not have all the answers. Children deserve and need our honesty. To say "I don't know" is better than sending confusing messages about truth and reality. Let's not present confusing images of a God who takes people away becomes he needs them in heaven more than we do on earth. Let's talk about what we do know. God made us. God loves us. God's plan for us is good. Death is a reality in this life. But when we have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, death can never separate us from God and his love for us.
3. Read the article below on talking with children about grief and loss.
4. Refocus our attention on making sure the children in our church are safe. What happened in Connecticut could very easily have happened here. No city or church is immune from tragedy. Even as we are re-evaluating our own security policies and procedures, be viligent each Sunday. Keep your eyes open and your mind alert. We will not respond from a place of fear, but we will act from a position of strength. "Greater is he that is in us, than he that is in world" (I John 4:4).