I am sitting down in my living room, looking at a ghost, a witch and a bat. Pretty odd company for the tail end of August, if you ask me, but then again, my daughter invited them. If we are being specific, she created them.

My eldest decided to create Halloween decorations with her younger sister, using reams of construction paper, gem stones, glitter glue and oodles of tape. They made spooky ghosts, creepy witches, glittering Jack O’Lanterns and hanging bats that looked like they were flying.

While I encouraged their artsy efforts, I tried to remind them that Halloween is two months away. However, neither one of them cared. They had Halloween on their brain — and that was going to be that.

Kids latch on to ideas and run with them with great faith, exuberance and hope. This is often the opposite of our response, especially now with the added stress of a pandemic. It can be difficult to look forward with joy. Instead, we are often viewing life merely as survival.

Seeing my daughters celebrate with all their hearts filled my heart with joy because they have not forgotten to live in the midst of this. They didn’t care that Halloween is ages away — they wanted to be ready for it! They are planning to have a good time — they’re not thinking about the what if’s but instead are dwelling on the hopes of tomorrow. Perhaps, they see through the confusing haze of COVID — and they know better days are ahead.

Faith like a child is definitely something to behold. The kiddos definitely get Matthew 6:34 — “”Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

We are told not to fear so many times throughout the Bible, it might be easier to point out the instances when we are not. Dear readers, you know that this is one I continue to struggle with. I know for sure that God tells us not to fear. I have read it, I have heard it, and I have understood it — but for some reason, it is not penetrating my spirit.

This is something I have to work on. Maybe it is an issue for you, too. Perhaps we can get through it by reminding ourselves that God tells us not to worry — and to embrace that child-like faith that lets us know it is possible to move mountains, and also have a mid-August celebration of Halloween.

I can only hope to have that level of faith. Lucky for me, I’ve got two kiddos who have been great role models.