Sorry to restart us on a downer, but here's a great idea from Father DMJ. Maybe the boys would let us tag along for the proposed Easter make-up service, because I've been coming up short on Lenten contemplation and Easter joy for a few years now. After a long week of dressing babies for services, hauling babies to services, keeping them quiet during services, participating only intermittently and perfunctorily during services (or, alternatively, in an official musical capacity, with accompanying anxieties), housing and feeding lots of weekend guests, and maybe even trying to mortify the flesh a little bit, all without the help of Dad who is necessarily at or preparing for church around the clock, AND having to put everything on hold whenever Small Guy gets sad or hungry, I really feel like I've missed out on Holy Week and Easter. It was such a zoo around here that we forgot to hide the eggs on Sunday and had to hold the hunt yesterday (the babies didn't seem to hold it against us too much).
Not that I didn't receive the gifts--but I didn't get to savor them, and that makes me sad.
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Some of the most frustrating years of my life regarding church are when my children are little. God has spaced mine far apart, so I have learned from experience that it doesn't get easier.
I find it rather ironic that when a single mom is in church, I am the one that makes her feel most uncomfortable and self-conscious about the way her child is acting, etc. since I am the pastor's wife. In actuality, I am probably the one who can empathize the most with how hard it is to handle children alone...at least on Sunday.
When we just had two tiny ones (the hardest scenario, in my opinion), I told my husband that I couldn't handle being a single mom for one morning a week. I have a LOT of respect for the Sunday morning single parents who bring their kids without, for whatever reason, the other parent.
I think the kids and I were looking forward to Easter Monday as much as Dad this year. Church is hard work for all of us these days.
A "catch-up" service is a brilliant idea. I approve. I also get really happy when I think that someday the First Children will be old enough to help out with the Latter Children, and they can all go hide their own eggs. ;)
Rebekah,
Yeah, we came to the edge of having my husband leave the ministry over mostly that issue. (there were other things that got to me, too, of course) It is amazing that "one day a week" can be so nightmarishly hard.
But it is amazing how much easier it is when they are old enough to sit there (or go off on their own and sing in choir or acolyte, gasp), or are at least there to be another set of arms or keep an eye on the younger ones while mom gets to chase down the one that is running down the nave).
Not that it is easier with more kids...I just think it might be a bit easier to handle now that I have an eleven year old (he did a good job blocking one side of the pew when he was little, too). It is terribly challenging, and I am sorry that your Easter was exhausting
RPW: I like the thought of the pastor's wife chasing the Rebellious Pastor's offspring down the nave. The little one gets it honest, I assume. ;)
I have the utmost respect for any family with young kids who show up in church at every opportunity. There is such a family at my husband's parish--three small kids, one a very new person, and still they show up looking good for COMPLINE of all things. I think to myself, "Self, that family has a lot to teach you." For, see, they don't have to give up their evenings for church, they just want to. They also have the nicest, sweetest, most mannerly children in town. I'm looking for a way to make the mom my friend, if such a thing were possible . . .
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