Is It Really Worth It?

Confession: I hate Sunday mornings.

Ok, hate is a pretty strong word. Let's just say that Sunday mornings are really, really challenging for me. I just have a hard time getting my family out the door in time for church. Out the door in time and all five of the children fed, dressed, wearing matching shoes, and with clean faces. I fail at the "in time" part about every week.  

This morning I was thinking about how much I hate Sunday mornings and wondering if all this rush and work was even worth it. I was tired (pretty sure I got out of bed like 6 times last night). I was jealous of my husband (who actually gets to take a bath Sunday mornings). I was dealing with a slow-to-obey four-year-old and a whiney baby, spilled smoothies and clothes with holes in them. Honestly, I was being a whiney baby myself. 

Why do I even try? We are always late anyway.

I spend the whole time during worship parenting my children. It's not like I really get to focus on worship. Last week I spent the entire time keeping the baby from pulling on the rope lights. If I'm not doing that, I'm in the nursery breastfeeding him because he hasn't nursed all morning because I'm so busy getting everyone ready. And I can do that just as well from home!

The kids don't really seem to get into the worship anyway. The boys spend most of it trying to wrestle or acting bored. And I can teach them their bible lesson just as easily at home as I can at church. 

In spite of all my whining, I got us out the door. All fed and clothed and we got to the church about 15 minutes late. We filed in and sat in our customary pew, which is in the front row. One of my favorite songs was playing, so I decided to stand and worship with the baby in my arms. I closed my eyes and raised my free arm and after a while I heard something. I opened my eyes to see my 15 month old baby singing with his arm raised. His words didn't make any sense and he didn't know what he was doing, but he was imitating mama. 

And I knew it was worth it. All of it.

Do I need to be more strategic about getting us out the door? Absolutely. Do I need to prepare better or do less so Sunday mornings aren't so stressful? Absolutely. But do I need to stop taking the kids to church because its just easier to not? Absolutely not.

Because even though it is hard work, it is good work. And good work is worth it.

Taking the kids to church is important to me because I want them to have a close and personal relationship with God. They can have this outside the church, of course, but I feel like that relationship is strengthened when they spend time with other people of faith: when they feel the strength of the Holy Spirit as we worship together, when they see people healed during prayer, and when they hear words of faith from people other than their parents. 

You are doing a really hard work when you mother your children, mama. And it is worth it. You are changing someone's life.

You are amazing!

Lee