Creating Spaces Where Children Can Find Peace and Comfort

Try as we may to shelter our children, they still experience pain and hurt from life. Whether it is school yard bully, feeling like they have no friends, or the death of a loved one, children experience “grown up” grief and fear. This world can seem like a crazy place to children when you combine the events in a child’s life with images of school shootings, the war in Iraq, and the fear of global warming seen on the nightly news. As parents and grandparents, it is our job to try and provide a safe place for our children – a sanctuary in our homes. Here a few suggestions for making our homes sanctuaries of peace for our children.

Pray together. My favorite family prayers are often very simple. Lighting a candle and reading a favorite Psalm can be a prayer. Standing in a circle holding hands and praying is powerful. And praying for your children each night as they are sleeping will bring them peace.
Stop the busyness! Make a list of all the things you do on a regular basis and cross off the things that you no longer want to do. Then circle the things you love the most. Only do those things you love to do and make sure you have time at home with nothing to do so that you can simply “be together.” If we constantly are on the go, we won’t have time to relax and receive sanctuary at home.

Simply be with your family. Do nothing! Be together.

Enjoy each other. Your children are delightful when the aren’t its most likely because they, or you are over-tired or running so much that you haven’t taken the time to notice. Read a book, play in a sandbox, play with clay and while you do, watch their faces and delight in how truly wonderful they are!

Grow something as a family. When things grow, new hope also grows. So grow a plant, flowers or an entire garden and notice the beauty of each day.

I encourage each of us to consciously try and tell your kids each day how precious they are, how loved they are and how glad we are to have them in our lives. This world of ours can seem out of control, but Christ’s love conquers all. May our love and time heal any wounds that our children might suffer.

Rev. Leah Hidde-Gregory has extensive training in Pastoral Care of Children and Teens in the area of Grief Recovery. She has served on staff at large churches for the past six years and been the Director of the Blessing Center a grief recovery center in Wylie, Texas. She currently serves as Pastor of Frost United Methodist Church.