Death and My Children

Yesterday as I was taking Nate and Zoe to the doctor for a check-up, ahead of us I saw American flags lining the side of the road.  I wondered what they could be for.  As we drew nearer, I saw that it was a funeral home.  I choked back tears and prayed for the family.  I was so proud and impressed that they would honor someone like that.

Nathanael asked what the flags were for.  I explained that it was a funeral for someone probably in the military.  We talked a bit about what that meant.  He then said, "Charlotte didn't have flags."  I chuckled to myself in the moment and told him because Charlotte wasn't in the military.

Later last night I was thinking about the scene from earlier in the day and once again was reminded by the fact that my children and some of them still very young have experienced death.  They know it too well now.  They know what a funeral home is.  I didn't have to explain that part to Nate earlier.  He just knew.  It seems in my opinion too much for a young child to have to know about.

I am reminded about another conversation a few weeks ago with Tristan.  He started asking questions about how funeral processions could run red lights.  It intrigued him how we were able to go right through the red lights as we followed the car carrying Charlotte to the cemetery.  We talked about all the details in that.  At that time, I again was struck by how my children know too much of death...all the details involved.

We have been reinforcing Heaven with our children a lot through all this talk of funeral homes, cemeteries, and death.  We have hope because we have Jesus.  Charlotte is safe with Jesus in Heaven. Even Zoe who is three knows this.  She very often says, "My baby sister dead.  She's in Heaven with Jesus."  Even though I feel my kids have experienced more of death than they should at their young ages, I desire them to know that they have a God who loves them tremendously and that they can have hope in Him.  I am praying that the experience of them losing their sister will draw them closer to Jesus.  I desire that more than what they know about funeral homes, processions or cemeteries, they would know the hope they can have in Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for their sins and that they can one day spend eternity with Him (and their sister, Charlotte) in Heaven.