Death comes aknockin again...

And the death question comes up again…how do you deal with death and children. My oldest son (12yrs), K, had Boy Scouts tonight. Afterward he found out that one of the boys died while on his way to Scouts. We have had a few family deaths in the last few years but this is the first death of someone who is anywhere close to K’s age. He seems o.k. but I don’t think it has sunk in yet. At the moment he is more upset that this child’s death is causing a mutual friend (I will call him JM just for clarity) pain. JM was good friends with the dead child. Tonight on the way to Scouts K had told me that JM is one of his “true friends”- someone who helps you just cause, who is there for you, and really cares about you. When K talked to JM tonight, JM cried while he told K what happened, how good of friends they (JM and the deceased child)had been, how upset he is, etc. K didn’t seem to know what to do, say, feel, etc. But I am proud of how he was there for his friend. K talked/texted with him for over an hour. They are suppose to talk again tomorrow too.


So while trying to figure out what to say to K I started pondering what I have taught my children about religion and God. I discovered I have lagged in that department. When I was younger, religion was always there. I got it at home, at church, with friends, family, etc. Since we moved away from my parents we haven’t found a church —or I should say I haven’t found a church, since my husband refuses to attend. The kids and I did attend a local church for a while but I discovered that my kids were unable to tell me the most basic Bible stories. Then I started working full-time and am required to work Sundays so we haven’t looked for another church again. Not sure there is much I can do about working Sundays at this point…but sometime in the future we will find another church.

For now I have searched through the Bible and have found some scriptures to comfort my son.

Here are some that I have found: 1 Thes 4:13-18; John 14:3, 27, 28; Rev 21:4; Rev 7:16; 1 Cor 15:52-54; Luke 18:16. I am going to use Mat 5:4 and Is 34:18 to let him know it is ok to grieve/cry. And then Ps 23 for comfort. Feel free to use them.

I have also decided that starting tomorrow we will have our first Bible story time. :-)