My oldest daughter Rachel wrote this amazing article entitled “Why Life is Like Mario Kart Double Dash.” She does a great job of making connections to the “hits of life” and getting “shelled” in Mario Kart.

I talked to Rachel a bit about her faith and how, though she doesn’t outright say it, much of what she is saying has to do with her foundation of faith. “If God weren't present, the boosts wouldn't happen. Just like in the game, if the intelligence system wasn't included the players would fail.”

As moms, we are challenged everyday with the task of teaching our children about Jesus and to help them see Him working in their lives. Because without Jesus in our lives, we are destined to fail.

Jesus is our biggest “boost” of all. That task gets even more challenging with outside influences from school, friends and activities, and even more challenging still in a mismatched home. But in talking to my daughter I realized that the groundwork of faith that I had taught her as a child now enabled her to see this God design in a video game. And honestly all I did was share with her what I believed and saw God doing all around us when she was little.

I share my kingdom perspective. As we talked and played together, I would explain how God designed so many things to show us His love and care for us, like flowers and puppies and kittens. As she grew older the challenges of becoming a teen became fertile ground for helping her to love the unlovable, to see beyond herself and consider what the other person may be struggling with. I made suggestions to help her see how God might be working not only in the situation but her as well. And now as an adult, I have the joy of watching her walking into life, college and now marriage with such wisdom and grace.

Moms and Dads, look at every thing in life as a teaching moment. When our children are young, they are so much more receptive and able—yes, able—to grasp the gift of God’s loving presence and to believe it. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you eyes to see and ears to hear these opportunities, and then step into them knowing you have the full backing of Abba’s favor. Because you are doing exactly what He has asked you to.

“Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.” — Deut. 11:19-21

We can use video games, TV shows, events at school, conflicts with their friends, and even world events as tools to help them know and see Jesus. In our upcoming book, Not Alone, I tell a story about turning a controversial kids’ book into an opportunity to teach my daughter about God’s truth and how evil can try to disguise itself to look like it.

I didn’t have control over this book coming into our home, but I did have a choice over how I would react and handle it. With God’s help, I turned a potential negative into a positive. These are choices we can make when faced with unwelcomed intrusions in our children’s sphere of learning and perception, even when they come into our homes. God is all about turning a negative into a positive—redemption. And from His kingdom perspective the possibilities are unlimited.

Moms and Dads, God has got your back!

Much love in Jesus! Dineen