Our children needs us now, more than ever before...

If ever there was a picture to encapsulate the emotions of our children this past year...this is it.

I took this photo a few days before our

girls returned to in-person schooling this

year after a full year of homeschooling.

I took it, because I wanted the memory

of a little girl hugging her Daddy, as he tried to comfort and reassure her.

But once I saw it on my camera, so many emotions came flooding in...

We keep hearing how resilient our children are...

...how they will "get through this"...

..."this" doesn’t really affect children...

...our children will be just fine...

But goodness--to be completely honest--

that's just not the truth.

Because these past 18 months?

They have been incredibly burdensome

on our little people. They aren't sure of

many--if any--certainties right now.

All while our world has completely forgotten

some of the most basic--and important--human characteristics of all...kindness, grace and compassion.

Our children need us.

They need us so very much right now.

They don’t need our complaining…

…our grumbling

…our bashing

…our politics

…our debates

…our fear-mongering

...including them in our adult conversations

not meant for their ears

They don't need us losing our cool...

...taking our feelings out on others

...stirring up gossip

...berating others in front of their eyes

They need US.

As their parents.

To step up.

To swallow our pride.

To agree to disagree.

To realize, and model, that

only One Opinion truly matters,

and that Opinion is not of this world.

They need us…

…to encourage them

…to pray for them, and over them

…to support them

...to listen to them

....to talk with them

…to be a light for them in the

darkness of our world

And, above all, to lead them humbly and mightily, back to the One Who steadies the ground before them when the world around them is shaking so much.

They plain and simply need us.

We are living in incredibly unprecedented times.

And our children?

Our children are watching us,

now more than ever.

And perhaps…even more importantly…

so is our Heavenly Father Above.