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!