Tuesday, January 28, 2014

it's not your season

Are you a Mother to small children?
Do you ever feel like church is a waste of time because all you do is wrestle your little ones?
If you've ever felt this way before then you are not alone. Being a mom to two kids I have often thought what the point was in going to church when all I did was clean up cheerios and try to keep my kids quiet. 


A few weeks ago in Relief Society the lesson was on goals. How we set goals every year but sometimes don't always achieve those goals and how it was ok to not achieve every goal you make as long as you try. Someone brought up the goal of being more patient with their kids. And then we got on the topic of taking small children to church and how hard it is. Since Presley was born four months ago, Dave and I haven't sat next to each other in church, Kyson's always sitting between us or I'm in the Mother's Room feeding Presley or changing her diaper.When we arrive at church we always go straight to the back with all the other families with small kids. Being close to the door makes for a quick escape! I spend almost half of my time at church in the Mother's Room! It's very discouraging! A lot of Sunday's I don't take one thing away from church because I'm so busy with the kids. I'll get home and wonder where the last three hours went? Sometimes I think it would just be easier to stay home than to go to church. Sometimes I think only going to Sacrament would be the easiest thing, and I'll admit I'm guilty of this more often than I'd like to admit. And then the teacher said something that I have never thought of, 

"It's not your season!"

Genius! She then went on to explain that as Mother's our job, right now, is to teach our children the importance of going to church, every week whether we learn something or not. It's our season to be an example to our kids! It may take a few years, it may take ten years but eventually we will get back to being able to have a peaceful church experience. And when that time comes we and our kids will know the importance of going to church regardless of the difficulties it may come with. 


I loved this and it has stuck with me and has been on my mind heavily since hearing it! So Mom's, don't get discouraged about taking the little babes to church when all you do is wrestle them. No one is going to judge you for trying to teach your kids. Chances are most people at your church will have either already raised kids and gone through it or are going through it with their own kids now. In the long run your kids will admire your patience and determination to be a good church going mother. And then they can take it and teach their own children the same thing someday. Be an example!


10 comments:

  1. I love this post! I don't have children, but when I do I'm going to be one of those moms that picks up after and wrestles with them during church. I really like the meaning behind that statement. Our parents has their time and now it's ours to be patient. :)

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  2. I definitely love church, but I had that same thought pass through my mind last Sunday- one of us is in the hallway with a cranky baby at least half the time, and soon I'll have a newborn to spend time with in the mother's room. I think we are definitely blessed for our effort to go though, even if we don't necessarily take away a specific thought or feeling.

    Those pictures of you and Presley are beautiful :)

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  3. Aww this is great!!!! So very true! :)

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  4. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I can't tell you how much I needed to hear this. I had a total meltdown on Sunday because trying to manage two under 15 months at church is just a sick joke. I told J that there really was no point in me even going because I spend the majority of the time in the mother's room or walking the halls with a toddler who so desperately needs a nap because church is right in the middle of naptime, but heaven knows that's just not going to happen. Being a mom is such hard work, but being a mom and taking your kiddos to church is so much harder haha.What a great reminder, though, that it's "not our season".

    Thanks for the extra boost today =)

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  5. this is so sweet. Something I want to remember for my future!

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  6. This is the truth!!! I am so glad you shared this post.

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  7. I like this post! I don't have any kids, but I watch my niece during the week & I will ask her what she did in Sunday School. She'll name the other kids in her class. You may not think it is having an impact on them, but it is. If ya stick with it, your kids will be grateful & appreciate you taking them to church, at least that is my thinking!

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  8. Love this post! Our priest talked about this recently and said that although most parents hate when their kids are loud during mass, he likes hearing the kids. That means that their parents are bringing them. We have started sitting up front each week. And it really helps our kids. They can see the priest and actually pay attention some of the time. Our 5 year old can even tell us a couple things that Father talked about in the sermon after we get out of mass.

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  9. I can't even tell you how much I needed to read this! I've been wondering why I even try right now since I'm literally in the hall the whole time! Or it's Mia's nap time. It's so hard! But this makes so much sense. It's still the best I can do if I make it to church and spend the whole time in the halls :)

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Thanks for making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!! :)