antiquarianbookworm
Puritan Board Freshman
My 4 year old son misses his Daddy tremendously (my husband, who was a believer, passed away in May). I talk with him about it regularly & openly & want to answer all his questions and teach him rightly to think about death from a biblical perspective. Tonight as we were lying in bed talking, he said, "I really miss Daddy tonight." So I was reassuring him of my love for him, that Daddy did love him (past tense), and the Lord's love for him. His response was to say, "Daddy still loves me and misses me, too." I wasn't sure how to respond -- what the biblical understanding of that really is. In terms of the missing him part, we talked about how we are to trust God's perfect plan & that He does all things for our good and growth in grace, that even when we don't understand and it is hard, we must still trust God's word and promises. And thus that Daddy understands now and doesn't have the struggle of it being hard -- and that Daddy is content with God's plan, even though it is hard for us.
But my question is: Do believers who are with the Lord actively know and remember those who are still on earth whom they did love? Is it right or wrong to have a child believe that a dead parent who loved them dearly still loves them now?
Many people say to my kids that their Daddy still loves them. I am always uncomfortable with that -- not that he wouldn't love them (as he loved them as much as any father could!) -- but that I don't think Tim is actively thinking about his family he left behind! I'd love a biblical answer to this so I know better how to treat this topic (both with my kids & with adults with whom we talk). As an adult I can process the whole thing differently than a 4 year old, clearly, and understand that the Lamb is all the glory ... and I am content knowing that my beloved's love for Christ has been perfected! But it's harder to explain it to a kid, especially when I don't have all the answers. Thanks!
But my question is: Do believers who are with the Lord actively know and remember those who are still on earth whom they did love? Is it right or wrong to have a child believe that a dead parent who loved them dearly still loves them now?
Many people say to my kids that their Daddy still loves them. I am always uncomfortable with that -- not that he wouldn't love them (as he loved them as much as any father could!) -- but that I don't think Tim is actively thinking about his family he left behind! I'd love a biblical answer to this so I know better how to treat this topic (both with my kids & with adults with whom we talk). As an adult I can process the whole thing differently than a 4 year old, clearly, and understand that the Lamb is all the glory ... and I am content knowing that my beloved's love for Christ has been perfected! But it's harder to explain it to a kid, especially when I don't have all the answers. Thanks!