www.veterans.ny.gov

September 11, 2001, was a strikingly shocking, scary day for Americans. But the world—and America—are even more dangerous and frightening places now. There’s no need for me to list the reasons why—you hear about them every day.

Our children are exposed to horrific world events too, no matter how hard we may try to avoid it. And they need our help to cope with frightening words and images and the ideas that might be triggered. Younger children can’t distinguish between live reports and rerun footage. They pick up on the emotions of the adults around them. They wonder, Am I safe? Who will take care of me?

cops.usdoj.gov

The ever-wise Fred Rogers offered this about talking to children about a crisis:

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers—so many caring people in this world.”

You can find many more helpful ideas from Mr. Rogers for helping children during tragic times on this page of The Fred Rogers Company website.

One of Mr. Rogers’ tips includes that parents must stay calm. Ultimately this is easier when we know God and know his Word. Over and over in Scripture we read that God says to us, “Do not be afraid.”

God knows we have reason to be afraid; he knows this world is full of trouble. But because he is with us, and because of our hope, we don’t need to despair. He WILL deliver us, one way or another. His ways are not our ways, but he is good and just and we can trust him—even as we wonder what kind of world our children and grandchildren will grow up in.

It’s easy to say these words, I know, if deep heartache and tragedy haven’t yet intruded on us personally.

But that doesn’t make them any less true. And this is the faith we must pass on to our children.

Especially on a day like today.

DIANE

Looking for a new kind of Bible study? Why not read through the Bible in a year? All you need is some encouragement and a simple tool to get you started. Learn more here.

Visit me at www.dianestortz.com. Learn about my other new releases. Download free resources, find helpful links, sign up for my newsletter, and follow me on your favorite social media networks.