Five Truths, Writing for Children Has Taught Me About God’s Heart for Families
Reflections on storytelling, calling, and the tenderness of God.
November always slows me down in the best way. The air turns crisp (Well, crisp for Texas), the evenings stretch longer, and gratitude rises to the surface like something God has been stirring all year. And as I look back on my writing journey — especially writing for children — I’m struck by how much it has taught me about God’s heart for families.
Writing for Children is not small work.
It’s not “cute” work.
It’s not lesser work.
It is holy work.
It is generational work.
It is discipleship disguised as a story.
And through it, God has been teaching me five things I want to share with you this month.
1. God Loves to Meet Us in Simplicity
When you write for children, you learn quickly that complexity doesn’t equal depth. Kids don’t need big words to grasp big truths. They need clarity, warmth, and wonder.
And isn’t that how God meets us, too?
In the quiet.
In the simple.
In the everyday moments, we overlook.
Writing for kids has shown me that God delights in making truth accessible — not watered down, but distilled. He loves meeting families in the small spaces: bedtime stories, car rides, kitchen tables, whispered prayers.
2. God Cares About the Formation of Imagination
Children live in the realm of imagination — and God is not threatened by that. He created it.
When I write stories that help kids picture courage, kindness, forgiveness, or hope, I’m reminded that imagination is one of God’s favorite tools for shaping the heart.
Before a child can live truth, they often need to imagine it.
Writing for kids has taught me that God cares deeply about the worlds we build in their minds — because those worlds become the soil where faith grows.
3. God Is Patient With Our Questions (and Our Kids’ Questions Too)
Kids ask the best questions — the kind that stop you mid‑sentence and make you rethink everything you thought you knew.
Why did God make scary things?
Why do people hurt each other?
Why does forgiveness feel hard?
Why does God love us even when we mess up?
Writing for children has taught me that God is not afraid of questions. He welcomes them. He honors them. He meets us in them.
And He invites families to explore those questions together — not with fear, but with curiosity and trust.
It reminds me of this Madeline L'Engle quote:
You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.
4. God Uses Stories to Heal What We Don’t Know How to Name
So many children’s authors write from places of grief, longing, or redemption. And I’ve learned that kids often read from those places too.
Stories become:
a safe place to feel
a gentle place to heal
a hopeful place to imagine something new
Writing for kids has shown me that God uses story as a soft landing for the emotions children can’t yet articulate — and sometimes, for the emotions parents haven’t processed either.
Stories help families heal together.
5. God’s Heart for Families Is Tender, Patient, and Full of Hope
The more I write for children, the more I see God’s tenderness toward families. He is not standing over us with a clipboard, evaluating our performance. He is walking with us, guiding us, and cheering us on.
He delights in:
bedtime snuggles
messy prayers
imperfect routines
wiggly read‑alouds
small seeds of faith
Writing for kids has taught me that God is far more patient with our families than we are, and far more invested in our children’s hearts than we could ever be.
A Final Word for November
As you enter this season of gratitude and reflection, remember:
You don’t need to be a perfect parent.
You don’t need to have all the answers.
You don’t need to create a flawless family culture.
You simply need to show up with love, curiosity, and a willingness to grow.
God will use the stories you read, the conversations you have, and the moments you think don’t matter — to shape your family in ways you may never fully see.
And that is something worth giving thanks for.
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