Day 11 — When Home Is Hard

“Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.”

— Psalm 27:10 (BSB)

Home is supposed to be a safe, happy place. And for many kids, a lot of the time, it is. But sometimes home is hard.

Maybe your parents argue a lot. Maybe they’ve divorced, and you go back and forth between two houses. Maybe a parent lives far away, or isn’t around anymore. Maybe someone in your family is sick, or there isn’t enough money, or someone has lost their job. Maybe there’s a lot of yelling. Maybe you just feel like nobody at home really understands you.

If home feels hard right now, here are some things God wants you to know.

First, it’s not your fault. When grown-ups have problems, kids sometimes think they caused them. But grown-up problems are grown-up problems. You didn’t cause them, and it’s not your job to fix them.

Second, God sees you. David wrote today’s verse: “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.” Forsake means to leave or let down. David was saying: even if the people who are supposed to take care of me let me down, God never will. He will always welcome me.

Earthly parents, even really good ones, are human. They make mistakes. They get tired and stressed. But God is the perfect Father. He never loses His temper unfairly. He never leaves. He never stops loving you. Psalm 68:5 calls God “a father of the fatherless.” Whatever is going on at home, you always have a Father in heaven.

Third, you don’t have to carry this alone. Tell God how you feel. And talk to a grown-up you trust: a grandparent, a teacher, a pastor, a school counselor or a friend’s parent.

And this is very important: if anyone at home, or anywhere else, is hurting you, scaring you or making you feel unsafe, tell a trusted adult right away. A teacher or school counselor is a great person to tell. That’s not getting anyone in trouble. It’s keeping you safe, and that’s what God wants.

You are loved. You are seen. And you are never alone.

Think about it: Who are some grown-ups in your life you could talk to if things were hard at home?

Try this: Pray for your family today, by name. If home is hard right now, talk to a trusted grown-up about how you’re feeling.

Dear God, thank You that You are the perfect Father, and that You will never leave me or let me down. You see everything that happens in my home. Please help my family. Give me peace, and help me talk to someone I trust when things are hard. In Jesus’ name, Amen.