I’m used to my 13-year-old son jumping in the car after school asking me questions about porn, sex, cuss words, etc. You name it. I always pray when I’m in the pick-up line for God to equip me with the right words to his important questions.

The past several weeks, I’ve been helping a lot of families behind-the-scenes. I don’t know any parent living their best life right now. We are struggling. There is a heaviness in our hearts, as parents. The digital world’s effects on our kids are becoming apparently and painfully clear.

Recently, I sat in the car pick-up line and I was done. Empty. As I cried in my car that day, I kept thinking, “Why? Why can’t they just be kids?”

As the cars in front of me started to move, I wiped my eyes and put on my brave face. It was go-time. I braced myself for my son’s heartbreaking questions, once again.

He jumps in the car and excitedly says, “I’m building a birdhouse in woodshop. I’m so glad I was able to go back to school. I really like learning how to build things.”

It took my breath away.

I felt like God reached down from heaven, wrapped His arms around me and said, “Don’t believe the lies. There are parts of his childhood that are normal.”

He recently brought home his final project. Every time I look at that birdhouse, I think, “It’s going to be okay.”

-His world is NOT dictated by porn and highly sexualized content. It’s there, yes, but I’ve taught him how to protect his heart and mind.

-He has real adults and teachers pouring into him. Those stranger social media influencers don’t hold a candle — they don’t get a bigger voice in his life than the real people molding and shaping him. Nope!

-I’m not alone in this. It seriously does take a village.

Yes, our kids are over-exposed. They are growing up too fast. I know it seems overwhelming at times to handle all that’s coming at us. And, it’s okay to grieve that, to cry about it and to even get bitter. Those are real feelings to work through. But, we can’t get stuck there.

I pray God will give you a little sign, like this birdhouse, that it’s all going to be okay.

We know the solution: pour into our kids, build a loving relationship, point them to Jesus and create a healthy dialogue about all of it.

Don’t see the negative. Look for the positive.