I'm grateful that my parents took me to church every Sunday when I was growing up. I'm grateful that my mom took five little girls to church, often by herself because of my dad's time-consuming callings. I'm grateful that my parents taught me that on Sunday, you go to church. Because, frankly, my conviction to teach my own children that is about all that keeps me going sometimes. Because it's hard. And it's been hard for a long, long time.
We tried splitting up the kids into two rows during Sacrament meeting yesterday, but that didn't seem to help the general state of reverence. Also definitely not helping things was A2's "yell if I'm sitting in the row and yell if you take me out into the foyer" attitude about the situation.
The kids who sit behind us in Primary sharing time sing much, much too loudly. They're the kids who start yelling when the chorister asks everyone to sing their best. And they do it on every song. I'm surprised I don't get more Primary-induced migraines.
So, it's hard. But we go. And we take our kids because we love Heavenly Father and it's where He wants us to be. And maybe if we keep going—and do our best to have a decent attitude about it—maybe, just maybe, we'll catch enough of a sacrament talk to actually learn something.
Monday, July 19, 2010
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3 comments:
Boy do I understand what you mean! Granted, I only have 3 kids versus your 5, but I come home from church on Sundays completely zapped of all energy. It doesn't seem like I really did anything, but I'm exhausted after church.
I remember a Sunday when we were young. I think Mom was pregnant with BT. Dad was off to meetings as usual and she must have been so tired. She says she didn't want to go to church that day and it was us to told her we had to go. I am amazed at how deeply she ingrained in us Sabbath worship--even then. I think a lot about the actual backbreaking work involved in the scripture 2 Ne 25:26 these days--all that we must do so that "our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." You are doing that work. It is exhausting and sometimes the rewards are small in the present tense, but I know it is worth it. I know we can even see it in small and tender mercies when we most need to see it, so that we can keep going.
Amen.
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