Giving Our Children Hope Amidst COVID-19

Be sure that you are staying safe and up-to-date with the latest information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect yourself and others from the spread of COVID-19.

Contributed by Leena Vincenz-Gavin, director of the National Children’s Ministry.

Dear Parents,

You’ve earned an elbow bump! Props to you on navigating this new climate together as a family. None of us ever imagined the world going through something like this, and yet here we are. Our children are now faced with a new normal: new daily routines, home learning and a lot of quality family time. While we may feel uncertain, scared and confused, we need to remind our children of God’s love and strength. Now more than ever, we should demonstrate our relationship with our living, breathing Heavenly Parent.

If you don’t practice daily morning devotion as a family yet, it’s a great time to start! Find a new groove and discover what works for you. Children can learn about God in so many different ways; through a morning walk in the yard, a reading, a prayer, a song, journal writing, or discovering God’s wonders through science. Starting off each day centered on our Heavenly Parent will give us the internal strength to make choices centered on a divine, deep love that can get us through anything!

Prayer Points:

Here are some prayer points that can help your children feel safe and protected during this time of uncertainty. Feel free to use one each day, and share and pray about it together.

Dear Heavenly Parent,

• Please be our rock throughout this day. Give us strength to be our best selves.
• Please protect all of our loved ones, friends, grandparents and all of your children around the world!
• Thank you for our family, our cozy home and endless opportunities to learn and grow.
• Help me to be loving today, patient and kind.
• Thank you for loving me always!
• Thank you for this beautiful world– the green grass, the flowers, the chirping birds.
• Thank you for Mommy and Daddy who are doing their best to make each day a new and beautiful experience.
• Thank you for my little brother or sister; help me to be a good example and love him or her more every day.
• Thank you for my big brother or sister; help me to respect and listen to him or her as they try to help me.
• Thank you Jesus for teaching us to “turn the other cheek” and always forgive.
• Thank you True Parents for helping us to create God-centered ideal families. We will do our best to make you proud!
• Peace starts with me. I pray that I can be peaceful today.

Inspirational Quotes for Hoon Dok Hwe:

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” -Hebrews 13:5

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7

“In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.” -Psalm 62:7

“We want someone to protect us on our way of destiny. Then, what must that someone be like? This one must transcend history– that is, the past, present and the future. He must transcend time and space. Unfortunately, man himself cannot transcend these no matter how great he is. Therefore, we are badly in need of someone like that who can take responsibility for our life in faith. If we cannot find one like that in human society, we would want to create someone in our imagination and fancy that he would protect us. But if there really is such an entity, how happy we would be! How eager we would be to locate him. The more difficult the environment becomes, the more insecure we become and we ardently set off in search of him. In this situation, unless you endeavor to confirm his existence and enter into a good relationship with him, you can never be assured about your life.

Then, what kind of relationship would you want to have between God and yourself? There may be teachers who are our seniors and who can protect us with their position, wealth and knowledge. But it is more desirable that we have someone who would protect us with the warmth of love. If we are going to be protected at all, we want to be protected not just for the time being, but for eternity. Then, who in the world could do that? Our parents. We need our parents. Next, we need brothers and sisters, and we also need our spouse, then our children. With them, we enjoy the blessedness of our life.” –Rev. Sun Myung Moon, May God Protect Us

“God is the God of love, of parental heart. In that case, if you were God, wouldn’t you do the same for your children? When you live like that with God, you become the greatest of His sons, since you have moved your Parent’s heart.

Which is better — to have your children unhappy and to try to soothe their hearts, even when they are sad because they know you are burdened, or to have your children want to make you happy? Wouldn’t you like to have children who will try to cheer you up ? Our desire is to become that sort of children to God.” -Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Children of the Heavenly Father

“God is the embodiment of true love. God invested unconditionally and created because of the ideal of true love. No individual can fulfill true love alone. Therefore, even God needs a relationship of give and take between the subject-partner and object-partner in order to establish and to experience love. Ultimately this takes place in a true family.” -Rev. Sun Myung Moon, True Family and World Peace

“You should unite as one and bring about the revolution centering on the Culture of Heart and expand the Blessed families throughout the world. The young people will be educated and become the light of the world. We must create that environment. True freedom, peace, equality and happiness — a world of peace will come if you practice true love and live for the sake of others. Unite with me and let us shine brightly in all dark places.” -Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, Peace Starts With Me

“Try to focus on today, on this very moment; and if you are the victor in your heart right now, you will be victors after going through the entire course. So, you must be alert in winning the very moment you are faced with for the side of God.” -Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Challenge and Victory

In conclusion, you’ve got this! Don’t forget to take deep breaths and pause for a moment. While we may feel overwhelmed, fearful or even confused–breathe in the breath of God, your loving Heavenly Parent, each and every day. Lean on your spouse and strive to be your best self. Give yourself space to be imperfect. Letting God in will give you the peace and strength to be the best parent that you can be. 

Read the CDC’s guidelines about talking with children about the Coronavirus. Also, check out these additional resources below:

FamilyFed Children’s Ministry: Bringing Sunday School & Faith into the home! 

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/cm.yayam 
• Website: www.cm.familyfed.org 
• Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/preschoolsundayschool 

School of Love: Purity Education for parents and children!

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/schooloflove.org
• Website: www.schooloflove.org