THAT Woman

Today I was that woman, the one who not so stealthily herds her multiple children into the back pew minutes after the worship service has begun and proceeds, with little success, to shush her children as she shuffles through her bulletin trying vainly to get her bearings.  The toddler, as toddlers with burgeoning vocabularies will do, enthusiastically names everything he sees.  "Bible!  Flag!  Bible!  Flag!  BIBLE!"  Now he is demanding his mother to give him one of the many Bibles he spies.  As his mother hands it to him, hoping the possession of said Bible will be the magic charm that turns him into a docile little worshipper, she wonders if any of the congregation have noticed that he is wearing a baseball cap, and whether it's cute or heretical in their eyes.  As for herself, she's just glad he isn't shouting his latest linguistic acquisition...  "Shut up, stupid!"  Now, that would be mortifying!

I suffered, though perhaps not as much as everyone within ear shot of my pew, through the announcements, call to worship, a prayer or two, a baptism, and the children's choir singing a song into which my toddler, from his perch on my lap, interjected a hearty "ANDREW!"  Never have I been so thankful for the Children's Sermon, after which I intended to pack my children into the van and go home.  As it turned out, the middle two wanted to stay for Children's Church, and since Children's Church was going to the playground, I went along with our toddler (who has not yet grown accustomed to the nursery and is, as described above, not ready for the worship service) and our almost nine-year-old (who is too old for the nursery or Children's Church, yet not old enough to sit in worship alone while I tend to the toddler).  It turned out well enough, but there were moments when I wanted to shout out...  well, pretty much what I'm writing next.

I'm not a horrible parent who refuses to put her kid in the nursery and who doesn't care if her family disrupts the service.  I do care, which is why I was so frustrated this morning.  What I am is a mother who doesn't believe in leaving a kid in a new situation to cope on his own unless absolutely necessary.  We recently hired a new nursery worker, a very wonderful young lady whom I trust will become one of my son's favorite people.  However, he's not there yet.  He likes her, but he likes her in close proximity to one of his parents.  Geoff and I are fine with this, and our method has been for one of us to stay in the nursery with him if he objects to being left.  (You are welcome to disagree with us, but that's where we stand).  The problem this morning was that Geoff is out of town, leaving me exhausted on a Sunday morning, with four children in three different places, two of whom I was not willing to leave alone.  I considered skipping church altogether, but I try not to skip just because church isn't convenient on a particular day.  I go with the intent of learning about God, worshipping God, and gathering with other believers.  Even when I don't feel like going - perhaps especially when I don't feel like going - I believe it is important to be there.  Faith isn't a feeling, and shouldn't be ruled by feelings.   Additionally, the boys were singing in the service and - this was the clincher - they had told me that they were not going to church and I couldn't make them go.  So we had to go.  Mommy plays many games.  Dare is not one of them.

So to the point, which may be very ineloquently stated:  A sanctuary is where God meets His people.  It is a place of holiness and humanity.  God brings the holiness.  We bring the humanity.  Sometimes, humanity is reverent and quiet and pretty.  Sometimes, it's a weary, fidgety, noisy mess.  Sometimes, it even wears a baseball cap.