We shall dwell with the Lord

Surely your goodness 

and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the 

house of the Lord

forever. 

Psalm 23:6

Being a mom sure has its moments. Probably the hardest is when there is the death of a loved one. Usually this would involve a fish being unceremoniously flushed down the toilet. There are tears from the kids and then talk about going to the store and getting a new one.

Being a wife of a pastor has brought a lot of talk about death in our house. “Why is dad not home?” “A man in the congregation died.” There would be a quiet calm, and then my youngest son would say, “Well he’s in heaven now.”

While we know that those who have faith in Christ will be in heaven, it still doesn’t make it any easier for us who are left behind. This is especially true when talking to our children about the death of a grandparent or another loved one. I have found that the best way is to be as open and honest as you can about the matter.

Being open and honest is best, but what should a parent say? One of the best things that I would recommend is going to your local funeral home and seeing what kind of resources that they have. They often have great handouts that will give you great advice speaking to your children about death.

Death is something that no one really wants to talk about. In fact, our society really shelters us from the idea of death. But death is a reality. Death is the result of sin entering this world. But God sent a solution: Jesus Christ. As believers we know that death doesn’t have the final word. For, through Jesus’ perfect life, death and resurrection we have the forgiveness of sins and the free gift of eternal life. Jesus truly guides us through the valley of the shadow of death in to the green pastures of eternal life.

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the victory over death through your Son Jesus Christ. Send your Holy Spirit upon us in those trying times in our lives when we need to talk to our children about the death of a loved one. In Your name we pray, Amen.