Mass shootings are harrowing symptoms of a world infected with sin. We cannot ignore the real presence of sin and evil in these moments. While young children might not need to know about every tragedy in the headlines, sheltering older kids from harsh reality isn’t caring for them—it’s only forcing them to find answers elsewhere.

If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one, the span of holidays from Thanksgiving to New Year’s can feel like running an emotional gauntlet. You survive the empty chair at one holiday, only to endure the onslaught of joy and festivity at the next.

We’re rarely still during the holidays. These are the gift-buying, debt-growing, family-tripping, cookie-baking, party-attending days of December. What do we need? To “be still and know,” we need a quiet nook, a cup of coffee, an open Bible, and photographic proof for social media. But what if that’s not what the verse means?