Half Mast

 

  Yesterday I was taking the kids to the park.  While in the car, Corban, who is 6, asked, “Mom, what’s going on with that flag?”  I looked out the passenger window and noticed a huge United States flag flying half mast.  I thought to myself- how am I going to explain this to him?  He is a very inquisitive little boy and a simple answer will not suffice.  So I replied, “When something bad happens in the world, people will fly their flags half way down the pole, which is called half-mast, to show respect and that they are thinking about what happened.”  

   Was he satisfied with that answer?  No.  “Mom, what happened in the world that was bad?”  Being very careful with my words, I said, “In a city really far away from here, across the ocean, some bad guys shot a bunch of people.”  Thinking I said too much for his little innocent heart to comprehend, he responds:

Corban- so there’s bad guys in the world

Me- yes

Corban- but there’s good guys too.  And when the bad guys started shooting, the good guys started shooting.  Then the bad guys started shooting some more.  But the good guys shot them and won.  

Me- you’re right Corban.  Good always wins.

   Seeing he was satisfied with his answer, I turned the radio up.  The first line we hear on the song from Blanca ‘greater is He, living in me, than he that is in the world’.  I said, “Did yall hear that?  In the bible there’s a scripture that says ‘greater is God in us, than the evil and fear that is in the world.’ (Paraphrased for their comprehension) There are bad people in this world.  But because God is inside of us, we don’t have to be afraid.  Because why?”

My older kids join in unison “because good ALWAYS wins”

   It’s extremely sad to me that I have to have these conversations with my first grader.  I’m pretty sure my mom never had to explain world tragedies to me at that age.  Which, I’m sure there were some pretty bad things that occurred during that time. I’m not here to bash social media.  It’s a great tool we have to keep in touch, but we do hear about such tragedies a lot fast than before.  Not only that, everyone we know has an opinion, me included, on the situation at hand. 

   Anyways, I want to encourage parents to not be afraid to tell your kids about world events.  Keep in mind their age and their innocence.  Their pure hearts can only handle so much. But, when your child does get older, share with them.  Ask them to share their feelings on it.  Let this be an opportunity to search the scriptures together, or as a family.  Build up their faith in God.  Let them know He is greater.  He has overcome the world (John 16:33). God always wins.  Teach them to still be bold in their faith and to share the love of Jesus with everyone.