Author Matt Whitman says his many discussions about the coronavirus were upsetting one of his children. Then, his 13-year-old daughter spoke up, and he couldn’t believe what she said. It made him realize that rather than speculating, he should only repeat things he knows are true.
“I’m speculating about this and being the dad—my kids are there, my wife and my parents, and I’m going on and on with all of these theories,” Whitman says. “And my wife, who’s far more socially intuitive than me, notices that my middle kid, my daughter, is doing the thing where she balls up and hugs her knees. She was upset.
“So I tried to temper it a little bit, but the reality is that my stupid, inaccurate speculation really only served to cause stress to those kids. … But in the midst of that conversation, my oldest daughter—she’s 13 now—she’s like, ‘Well, Dad, I trust God.’ … Just this incredibly wise, beyond her years, old-soul mindset of this long view and of an attitude of patience, trust and peace. It wasn’t just in her words; it was in the way she said it, and it was almost like she knew I needed that.”
To hear more encouragement about how to respond to the coronavirus in a way that reflects faith in Jesus, click here.
Charisma Media Staff