HOW many times have we all been through this when we bring a guest?
And HOW many times is church for some reason or another different when we do bring one?
And HOW many times must we be reminded that GOD IS IN CONTROL.
Ya think I'd be there by now but noooooo, not me.
Thankfully, I didn't even know there was a guest speaker until AFTER church. So I was spared the agony of "Is it going to be good" through the whole thing while chasing around my nearly two year old Tasmanian Angel.
So that was hard but that was only AFTER church.
Let's just talk about DURING church for a minute.
Here's me: We can work this thing out. Really. No prob. I'll just sit out here with Kate and listen to the sermon via the speaker while she plays contentedly at my feet with Montessori blocks and I take meaningful notes all the while having direct access to the coffee dispenser.
Here's reality: Kate runs whooping from doughnut table to doughnut table while DEMANDING sips of my hot coffee AND to be nursed simultaneously, while WMCG (well-meaning-church-goer) stands around trying to talk to me at length about something better discussed at another time while I am trying to LISTEN. So I am not listening to the sermon which I so desperately want to be and I am having trouble disciplining Kate because I am listening to the person talking to me.
Frustration mounting...frustration mounting...all I want to do at this point is GET OUT.
So out I try to head while another WMCG decided that I am ok where I am at and I don't need to go anywhere. I keep trying to nicely you know, leave while he also is nicely but adamantly trying to convince me that I'm-alright-you're alright-she's alright-it's alright. Nice right?
AAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Lol
I make it to the front door when I realize Jeff has the keys. I am at this point, willing to STRIDE into the service to get said keys but know I probably won't make it past the sentry. I mean, the ushers.
So I look to the right and to the left and since there is NO tequila in sight, I spot the very thing that could for all intents and purposes cause one to actually DRINK tequila.
The dreaded DAAAAAAY CAAAAARE. (hear booming, echoing deep voice)
Soooo, in we go.
I step over the railing and into what one could only consider well, since it is church, I cannot say. Lol But you know what??????? It wasn't. It was...nice. And....fun. And even...peaceful in some way. The other parent in there had a child with her who was clingy like Kate. I don't know her name. But her cutie-son's name is Axel. (I didn't have the guts to ask her but I will next time! Is a rose a rose by any OTHER name? Ok, bad one I know.) But she was so nice. And evidently in the same position as me since our kids are the same age and it was just nice to relate you know? Maybe I need some one on one time with some Mom's of two year olds... so I did the thing already. You know, I daycared.
ANYHOO, (you DO know it is now 4:20 am right?)
I am happy here in this land of O-So-Many-toddlers because oh, that's right, I actually LIKE kids. Kate plays happily, completely baffled by this many kids and jumps right into all the fun and games. She even has snack and well, it just wasn't so bad.
I even left for a minute to get paper towels for a spill. She was fine.
I'm tempted ladies, I am seriously tempted.
But of course I did witness all the things that I don't necessarily want her to have to deal with either. Though I know my Kate, and I am afraid she may be the one who other parents try to protect their kids from. Poor baby. She just has leadership qualities...Lol
WHERE is the answer Lord??????????????????????????????
I am seriously considering just staying home and (trying) to listen to the sermon on tape some other time. But ya'll know how that goes.
Marissa's idea of rotating myself and one of the girl's each week is also tempting.
If ya'll see me slipping away though, come get me. I need church like everyone else and am still trying to work it out, like everyone else. I lose it like everyone else. Am hormonal like everyone else. And admittedly, need help. Just like everybody else.
And a good time was had by all! Lol
What I realized later: God reigns victorious in EVERY situation.
I was WAY too focused on self at church today.
God will bring you back into submission one way or the other.
Today, it was the other.
God truly, really, absolutely is in control, so that means, I can chillax.
Nothing is that bad, it is all about our reaction to it.
and finally,
after I get through another Thursday without church, lol
Sunday is a comin'!!!!!!!!!!!
12 comments:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HeHeHeHeHEEEEEEEEE!
Axel's mom is Sonya. It's a family name apparently...no connection to the ROSE as I understand it, but I'm right there with you mentally thinking it, LOL. I am totally with you on the whole idea of relying on GOD to reach people when the message presenter deviates from the norm. There was a new couple there, and I did not want to undermine P's well thought out teaching by telling them they needed to hear our PASTOR speak, but I thought about it, just because I did not want them to write off CCOTL, or decide on CCOTL, based on a non-typical day. But you know what? I have no control anyway-It's God's gig, and he's WAY BIGGER than the speaker from the pulpit or any platitude I could offer, so for ONCE I was quiet and left it in HIS hands...now if I could only apply that wisdom to EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY, I would be doing much better...
Rod was making decisions for the Lord for a year, attending church regularly and such, while I spent that year trying to make sure that every Sunday morn was peaceful. I noticed every flaw in myself and everyone else and figured that must be tied into the reason why he didn't "step out" (Baptist) that Sunday.
One Sunday morning I was terribly hormonal, the kids (5,5, and 3 1/2) refused to cooperate with any of my clever tricks to keep them under control sitting with us (they were usually very good). I didn't hear a word the pastor said and I was bone tired and was ready to bolt. I hardly heard the invitation and when Rod stepped out my first thought was "where is he going?" and when I realized he wasn't heading toward the door but toward the front, my next thought was "but how could that be?" My friend sitting in front of us sat down and started crying when she saw Rod walk by but I was still flabbergasted and could barely sort things out!
That was a strong lesson for me in God's love and grace and my pride and control! It really is funny!
Hang in there, you! And tell pushy usher to push off! I'm totally serious! In a nice way, of course. I'm 99.9% sure I know who was ushering yesterday and he is a little too much at times. He is a friend and I love him, but HE IS NOT EASY TO DEAL WITH.
Oops, may have missed the boat here - just re-read your post. Am now guessing that is wasn't the sentry/usher who was giving you problems - my bad! Ignore previous comment, except the hang in there part. :)
Is the Thursday sermon like a Sunday evening service, is it a bible study, and is it continued from Sunday mornings sermon? Just curious about the Thursday thing. Just hang in there with Kate, it won't be long and the twos will be long gone. Maybe as you become more comfortable with the childcare setting and as Kate gets older it wont be such an issue. I know I would have a hard time putting Ethan in nursery in a new church until I got to know the parents. And by 3-4 she can sit quietly in service with a coloring book or something, so you are almost there..
Yes, Thursdays are a continuation of the Sunday service. Calvary teaches verse by verse so say you do Philippians 1:1-4 on Sunday, on Thursday you might do Philippians 1:5-7 or whatever. I do not know why I love Thursdays so much. I guess because it really is like church twice. And I could do church every day. Lol
Also I don't feel as guilty leaving someone home to watch Kate. Sundays are really no time to have someone babysitting unless it is ME. Kids need to be in church. :)
CCVB (at this point in time anyway) teaches NT on Sunday mornings and OT on Thursday nights though in continuation also.
I just re-read this post and I would just like to add:
HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW! Thats's good stuff!
CHILLAX... that is a new word and I like it!!!
As far as Thursday church goes, I think we would like to eventually have a separate teaching (NT one service & OT the other).
CCOrlando used to have "Through the Bible at a faster pace on the evening services and then random (Spirit-lead of course) entire books, one at a time, on Sundays.
I think the main thing right now is the fact that our pastor has a full time job other than church and then still prepares (totally as a service to the Lord) 2 messages per week. I think it probably easier for him to stay in the same book for now so he doesn't have to switch gears!
One day though...
Steph, I am glad you had a good time in "daycare"! You crack me up!!!
I'm with Crystal here...I laughed myself silly reading this...just know...I'm laughing WITH you!! There have been Sundays with Isaac that have caused me to look for hooch on the snack table too. :) Anyways....you Bless my heart. I will continue to pray for you all as you seek to figure all this out...we want you there with us!!!
Thanks Lisa, especially for the clarification of laughing WITH me. My SIL is definitely laughing AT me. My pain is her pleasure! But in a loving and relatively non-threatening way...Lol
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