Not long ago, Josiah and I were headed out to the grocery store after dropping Elijah off at school. We took the back way there, which brings us out to the main four-lane highway in our area, which meant I had to cross two lanes of northbound, oncoming traffic to head south to the store.
Sitting at the stop sign, I was waiting for a chance to at least cross to the median, and Josiah got impatient with me.
“Go, Mommy!”
“I can’t go, yet, Josiah. There are cars coming. I have to wait until it’s safe for us to go across,” I explained.
Without missing a beat, my 2-year-old answered, “Jesus make us safe, Mommy. Jesus make us safe.”
Aaannd…there it is again. The simple, sweet faith of a child.
“Jesus make us safe.”
And underneath that innocent trust, is a much deeper, imperative truth.
I could do everything in my power to be safe, watch traffic, pay attention, be alert and aware, and still life is not in my control. Other drivers (distracted, under the influence, or careless), natural disasters, angry people with guns – I have no control over them.
I can’t entirely protect my children from mean kids at school, every disappointment or failure they’ll experience, sickness or random injuries (with my active boys, injuries are almost guaranteed), or the worldly influences they will encounter in their lives.
“Jesus make us safe.”
What I can do is make sure my boys know with certainty where their true safety lies. What I can do is teach them, help them, and show them how to build their foundation on the Rock, on Jesus. They need to be firmly, solidly rooted in Him, so that when storms come (and they will to all of us), my boys stand firm despite the winds, torrents, or destruction left in its wake.
The story of the wise man building his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27) is one of Josiah’s favorite in the Kids Bible App. He calls it, “Storm.” We’ve read it over and over. Each time, I remind him of what it means, and clearly he’s getting it, as much as a 2-year-old can at this point.
“Jesus make us safe.”
As parents, if we want our children to trust and build on the Rock, WE have to trust and build our own house on the Rock. We shouldn’t just run to the negative when trouble hits or let circumstances shake our confidence in God’s power over those circumstances. Sure, we’ll feel the shaking. We may even doubt or begin to worry. However, if we’ve been solidifying our own foundations in Christ, when the winds start to howl and our doubts begin to whisper to us, something inside of us, or rather Someone inside of us, should rise up and speak peace to our hearts, trust in the trials, and focus our eyes not on the storm, but on the One who calms them.
Don’t always shield your child from the difficulties you are facing. Allow them to pray and trust with you. I learned that I could rely on God to take care of me by watching how He took care of my parents. When they needed money unexpectedly or faced health issues, they didn’t hide it all from us. They brought us in, praying together, trusting together, and rejoicing together when God came through, as He always will. (Sometimes it isn’t as we expect Him to answer, but He’s there with us through it, working out His plans for our good – Romans 8:28)
Our lives should speak to our children, proclaiming, “Jesus make us safe.” Yes, the statement isn’t proper grammar; it’s two-year-old speech. However, if you need to, you can also turn it from proclamation to prayer, “Jesus, make us safe.”
God has to be my security, my foundation, my refuge in the storms. God has to be their security, their foundation, their refuge in the storms.
He, alone, can make us safe.
Hey mom, josiah and the highway is adorable. Love you. Josiah.