Mommy, do you think Jesus will come back soon to make all things new?

We were pulling out of our driveway when my five year old asked about Jesus’ return. Although we virtually never watch the news and are very mindful of little ears when discussing the world’s problems, they had been paying closer attention than what I’d realized. And so I took a deep breath and smiled as I responded with wonder, “I think God might have chosen us to fight in The Last Battle (a reference to the final book in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series)! Most of the things that Jesus said would happen before His return are being fulfilled now, and Jesus said that when we see these things happening we should pay attention because His return would be coming soon. So we know we are getting close. Now, the Bible also says that a thousand years in our time are like a day to the Lord, so it could still be a while. But after all these years that Jesus’ followers have been waiting and waiting and waiting, I suspect that we might actually get to see the fulfillment of these promises!”

My heart has been heavy and brain foggy, these past several months. And I know I’m not alone. But there’s also been a spark of wonder growing into a flame of conviction. Like Frodo in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, my kids might wish to have been born into a different age. And in my weakness and shortsightedness, I wish that they had been. But this is their destiny. They have been born for such a time as this. And so, like Gandolf, I am committed to helping them carry that burden so long as it is theirs to bear. The question is where to go from here. How do we parent in these days? More specifically, how do we disciple our kids through so many natural disappointments and fears while simultaneously cultivating the strength, hope, and vision that they’ll need in the years to come?

There is so much that I don’t know. So much that I have to learn. So many areas in which to grow. But here are some things that I know I must prioritize, today.

The Big Story. This is where we find ourselves. God created a perfect world which was broken by sin, redeemed through Jesus’ death, and will someday be restored when Jesus returns to make all things new. This is the story in which we find ourselves. And we use it. all. the. time. Questions about why people die? The Big Story. Questions about why thieves steal? The Big Story. Questions about earthquakes and tsunamis? The Big Story. Questions about hope and love? The Big Story. Questions about why Mommy can be so impatient? The Big Story. Questions about gender and sexuality? The Big Story. Questions about a world that appears to be spinning out of control? The Big Story. Knowing where we’re at in this Big Story helps us put all of our little stories in context. If you’d appreciate a refresher on this overarching plot, I know of no better telling than Sally Lloyd Jones’ The Jesus Storybook Bible.

Bible stories. I must also tell my kids the smaller stories that make up The Big Story. The most important of these are found in the Bible. A few years ago I reflected on the role that I believe Bible stories must have played in the gritty faith of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And today more than ever, our kids need to be having their imaginations and worldviews shaped by stories of God’s faithfulness and power in the midst of human suffering, frailty, and evil. Furthermore, Bible stories can help them see this faithfulness and power as both absolute and nuanced. A few years ago I wrote about telling a group of three year olds about the martyrdom of Stephen, after having been convicted that they need stories of both God’s deliverance from death and God’s presence in death. I’ve written about how to choose a Bible storybook, along with some of my favorite Bibles and Bible storybooks for different ages here (ages 0-2, ages 2-4, and 5+).

Hero stories. It was on a high school missions trip that I was first captivated by the stories of faith heroes like Amy Carmichael, William Booth, George Mueller, D.L. Moody, Eric Liddell, and Jim Elliot. I read their biographies. I adopted their practices. I cannot overestimate their role in shaping my understanding of discipleship, courage, and integrity. But then I actually lived overseas. And met other disciples from different streams of Christianity. And got married. And had kids of my own. Life got complicated. So I went from reading about heroes of faith to ideas about faith. I think it probably needed to happen, developmentally, but it was nevertheless a loss. So I’m thankful that several years ago I was reintroduced to many of these heroes and met some new ones through Eric Metaxas’ Seven Women and Seven Men. And now I’m getting to share their lives with my kids. One of my favorite picture books is Corrie Ten Boom: The Courageous Woman and the Secret Room. We’re also going through Dave and Neta Jackson’s Hero Tales: A Family Treasury at dinner (I’d recommend pre-skimming, as these are intended for slightly older kids). Another resource we love is the dramatized audio biographies produced by Your Story Hour. Our kids need to know these heroes, both to cultivate a vision for their own lives, and also so that when things do get hard they’ll know themselves to be surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who have faced great challenges and overcome.

Great stories (and fairy tales). About a year ago one of my kids saw a magazine that sparked a conversation about persecution. One of them responded that he/she wouldn’t want to be a follower of Jesus if it meant opposing the powers that be. And so I backed off (and prayed). Fast-forward to the conversation that sparked this post. When I checked in with my kids’ hearts by asking, “So, how do you feel hearing that we might fight in the last battle?” The same child who had previously been so afraid now responded with awe, “Amazing.” The difference? Great stories. We’ve read about St. George persevering in his fight against the dragon, Tumtum and Nutmeg courageously defending General Marchmouse, the Prince Warriors battling the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, the Boys in the Boat winning gold in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and Aslan’s great power and faithfulness throughout the Narnia series. Granted, my kid could have just been a year older. And of course God is answering my prayers! But I’m also thankful for these great stories.

Memorization. I recently listened to an interview with Corrie Ten Boom, who recalled a time in a Nazi concentration camp when she asked God to give her a Bible verse for each woman that she passed. And God did it! Just as Jesus had promised in the upper room, the Holy Spirit recalled to her memory various passages that she’d memorized over the course of her life. I’m similarly reminded of people with dementia who cannot recall their own name but will quote Scripture or sing familiar hymns learned in their childhood. This past year I’ve chosen one passage of Scripture each month or two to read many days while my kids are eating breakfast. I haven’t expected them to memorize it, per se, but just wanted to sink the words into their minds. This coming year I plan to spend 2-4 minutes each evening after dinner using Sonya Shafer’s system of learning and reviewing Scripture. The passages that I’ve prioritized, this past year, have been Psalm 23, Psalm 139:7-12, Isaiah 43:1-3a, The Lord’s Prayer, Psalm 1, Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 13, and Isaiah 9:6-7, along with several verses learned in Sunday School and Bible Study Fellowship. Another easy (and fun!) way that we memorize Scripture is through music. There are many, many artists who have set Scripture to music, some of my favorites being Steve Green, Dana Dirksen, and Seeds Family Worship. I’ve created a public Spotify playlist with these that you can certainly pull from in creating your own playlist, although I’ll *warn* you that if you just use mine, it also includes our Bible Study Fellowship songs, Sunday School songs, and favorite versions of hymns we’ve learned (which we also do monthly).

Cultivating discernment. Though I have not made a count myself, Mike Bickle claims that New Testament writers warn more about end-times deception than end-times persecution. He goes on to warn that in the years leading up to the Lord’s return, the world will be changing so rapidly that the young adults of that time will need incredible discernment because the generation before them won’t understand the world in which they’re living (hello, TikTok!). I’m not quite sure how to do this (and would gladly take ALL of your suggestions in the comments!), but nevertheless recognize it as a priority. One thing that we’ve started doing is pointing out situations where things are not as they seem (like with virtual reality), and also the power of a narrator and how people can draw such different conclusions from the same events and observations. Two books that have opened some of these conversations for us have been Archeologists Dig for Clues and The Geology Book. As they get older I think I’ll also look into resources that teach logic/ rhetoric, but we haven’t gone there yet. We’re getting into some really hard topics, but I’ve often recalled my brother’s wisdom (maybe taken from Jordan Peterson?) that one of our main jobs as parents is to prepare our kids for the world in which they’ll actually live. And so we’re thinking a lot about discernment and deception.

Celebrating life. Finally, Sally Clarkson says that our homes are to be outposts of God’s kingdom in a broken and fallen world. So in world characterized by chaos, fear, and division, our homes are called to radiate peace, hope, and radical love. This can be crazy hard work, but it is good. In his book, Culture Making, Andy Crouch points out that

A basic unit of culture is the family, where we first begin making something of the world… Culture that is everyone’s property is in no one’s grasp. But as we consider smaller scales of culture, we begin to have more meaningful influence over what culture makes of the world. As parents of two children, Timothy and Amy, my wife Catherine and I truly have the ability to make some things possible and others impossible for them and for ourselves- even though our culture making takes place within larger horizons over which we have less control.

Culture Making p.46

Wow. This is probably the hardest area for me. I can teach the Bible all day long, but if I’m impatient and resentful with those I claim to love, I am essentially invalidating everything I’ve just taught. Similarly, if I am articulating our confidence in God while living with a constant eye toward events completely beyond my control, what are my kids really learning? The enemy capitalizes on fear. And so this past month when we got some sobering news and all I wanted was to come back into my room and journal, I defiantly pulled out my baking tools and made a fresh peach pie. In our homes, we must choose to celebrate God’s gifts today, rather than being pulled into despair or worry about tomorrow. Just like counterfeit-money-spotters are trained by studying the real thing, I want to so immerse my kids in God’s beautiful, good, and abundant life, that when they encounter counterfeits they’ll be able to recognize that something feels off.

Whew. And that’s all. No biggie, right? The task can feel insurmountable, but do not give in to the overwhelm and let the enemy gain the victory!!! Pray about how to move forward. When feeling stuck I remind myself of women who have gone before me and encouraged, “Do the next thing.” Just like we want our kids to know themselves surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, we parents must remember the same. We are not the first to raise kids in troubled times. And we were born for this. So let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:2-3). He’s got this!