I Have Overcome

“No matter what this world throws at us, God has overcome.”

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

My oldest turned 10 two days ago. I vividly remember looking into the backseat of my Corolla and thinking, “one day there will be a car seat back there”. And now, not only has there been a car seat, but 4 car seats. And the Corolla has long since out-lived its usefulness.

In the days of dreaming about babies and having a family, my dreams were filled with sweet moments. Car seats, stroller walks, sleepy snuggles. I hadn’t ever thought to dream about beyond that. That this sweet squishy baby would turn into a toddler, then a kid, then a pre-ish-teen. My mind never went to dealing with school bullies, grown-up parent bullies, a literal pandemic, navigating public school culture post pandemic, and everything else.

My oldest gets to be my guinea pig as I learn how to parent through all the difficult situations in life. He’s fantastic at it. He’ll come to me and share when someone at school made a bad choice or said words that aren’t kind. We get to talk about it all and learn together the best way to approach it as God would have us do.

I don’t know how you feel, but I feel a lot of pressure in that. Preparing my kid for the struggles of the world, while they are still a kid, in time for them to jump in- feet first into a scary world that will certainly give them trouble.

John 16 shares the hope that we aren’t alone in this world. That God knows we will struggle and hasn’t abandoned us to it. We can have peace. This world isn’t the end. We can share that peace with our kiddos, in age-appropriate ways, while they are still at home with us.  No matter what this world throws at us, God has overcome.  

Action Steps:

• Read all of John. Get to know Jesus and why there is hope in living for him.

• Teach your kids about Christians who have come before them. People who have lived through struggles and kept their faith. 

Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for Your great sacrifice that gave me life. Because of You, I can have peace even when the world throws trouble at me. You deserve all the glory because You have overcome all adversity and darkness. Thank You for being there for me, in my parenting, and my children, as they navigate this big world. Amen. 

Written by Barbara, living a decade of motherhood in peace and faith