It's Just a Fantasy...

Confession: I caught myself fantasizing in church this Sunday.

image from Abstract Wallpapers

It wasn't about unicorns or castles or magic...I was just thinking how it would be really nice to be able to sit through an entire church service without having to take care of anyone else!

To close my eyes and surrender in worship…

...without having to nurse or chase the toddler around...

...without having to separate two brothers that keep having a foot wrestling match or remind my son for the 50th time not to put his feet up on the pew in front of him...

...without having to track down my OCD son who is hiding under the table in the empty nursery because he is still upset that he didn’t have any clean jeans to wear to church and he had to wear shorts instead…

...to be able to sit through a sermon uninterrupted and just feel like the rest of the congregation…

Do you ladies ever fantasize about things like this? I catch myself doing it quite often. And you know what? It always just makes things worse. I end up crying in the nursery instead of worshipping in the chaos.

I think I have gotten a little better, though. After my pity party on Sunday I allowed the Lord to give me a glimpse into the future...to when I really would be able to sit through a sermon. I would be older and happy, maybe holding my hubby's hand and whispering inside jokes to each other between the Pastor's comments, but there would be a tiny bit of sadness about me...because I would be missing chasing the chubby legs of my toddler around the church. I would miss the mischievous look in my sons eyes when I separate him from his brother (he can be so naughty, but he really is awful cute!). I would miss the sweet singing of my girls during worship... 

And I was reminded again, that mothering is all about worshipping in the chaos. Mothering is worship by its very definition, because it is doing what God has designed you to do, and what could be more honoring to your Creator than that???

This verse is one of the token mothering verses, and it should be! Because when we are changing diapers and wiping snotty noses and reminding them how to behave in church and trying to teach them how to disagree appropriately instead of fighting, we are working with God to shape these little people into souls that will love and honor Him and their fellow man. And that, dear mamas, is the highest calling there is.

So hang in there, sweet mamas! As it talks about in Hebrews 12:1, run your race with endurance and you will receive the prize. Because, you know what, my older children do not still kick each other in the pews and try to run around the church during the service! It makes me laugh to picture them doing that, and reminds me that having littles in church is just a season (admittedly a longer season when you have six children, but just a season nonetheless!). On the contrary, my older children worship and love the Lord and listen carefully to the lessons that are being taught during the service. Which goes to show that all the hard work I put into getting them to church when they were little has paid off.

All your hard work will pay off too, mama. You don't labor in vane. So keep up the good fight! And worship through it all. it is what you were designed to do.

Lots of Love,

Lee