By: Jen McGee
Several years ago, I was pregnant with twins, and after leaving for church, I looked down at my skirt and began to panic. There was a security tag on my skirt! I had to wear that specific skirt for a choir performance – plus, not much else fit me. My pastor husband was at church already, and I had all three of our kids with me. So, what did I do? I marched (well, more like waddled) right into that Kohl’s department store, security tag and all. Back then, the security tag remover was fixed on top of the counter, so I literally had to hoist half of my very pregnant body up on the counter to have them remove the tag. Just another “day in the life”, I suppose.
It would be nice if that had been the last time I ever dealt with someone leaving the security tag on, but sadly, the same thing happened this past Sunday. You just can’t make this stuff up!
After a chaotic morning, I had finally made it to church for music practice before the service began. I was standing on the stage when a friend walked up, chuckling, and pointed to my pant leg. I looked down, not sure what I was seeing. Had I rubbed up against something? I looked closer, and my eyes got wide as it hit me. My pants still had the security tag! I started laughing, incredulous that not only had the store cashier not seen the tag, but that I had managed to get entirely dressed without ever noticing it. I jumped in the car and headed to the nearest – you guessed it – Kohl’s department store. Can we say “hot mess express”? Yep. That’s me.
Earlier that morning, I realized that I had not switched the washer load to the dryer. So, my oldest son had to wear a damp jacket to church and later to work, and my younger son had to wear damp pants to church. True story. Bless their hearts.
During the church service, I was scheduled to sing, but I was in the back taking video clips. The person ahead of me on the schedule ended way earlier than I thought, so I basically had to power walk to the stage. I proceeded to feel breathless for approximately the first half of my song. Thankfully, I was not singing “Breath of Heaven” this year. 😉
These are just a few things that happened last Sunday. I could go on and on and on about the three Sundays IN-A-ROW, mind you, where I couldn’t find my van keys as we were heading out the door to church. Or the many mornings when kids can’t find their shoes, or kids (or parents 😉 ) wake up grouchy and frazzled.
I mean, you just have to laugh or you’ll cry, right?
Walking into church feels like an incredible feat almost every Sunday. Partially because as previously mentioned, I’m a hot mess, but also because there is absolutely spiritual warfare going on. I’m convinced that this spiritual warfare can include a lack of desire to wake up and get to church on Sundays, it can include a spirit of divisiveness amongst the kids…and the list goes on.
Can I be the one to encourage you? GO TO CHURCH ANYWAY!
Most of us are a bit of a mess in one way or another. Most of us have proverbial mountains to climb just to make it to that glorious pew (or chair ;)). Or maybe you’re going through all of that craziness just to get to church and teach a group of rowdy kids (Bless You!). Many of us wish our hair or make-up looked a little better, or that we had gotten up earlier to grab a coffee on the way.
Can I just pause and give creds to those families who show up with matching clothing on Sundays? I’ll never understand you. Like you ALL match. It’s enough that my parents do this, but entire families with more than one kid will do this, and I’m just so amazed and in complete awe that some people can be so put together. Go you!
My family, however? We’re lucky if all our kids show up to church with shoes on their feet! If you resonate with this, you are my people. 😉
So, this Sunday (and all the other times the church doors are open), expect the chaos, and GO TO CHURCH ANYWAY!
We’re all in this together. Let’s not give in to that spiritual warfare or that temptation to skip it altogether.
Whoever wrote “Easy Like Sunday Morning” clearly never went to church and most certainly never had kids. 😉 Sunday mornings can be HARD! Sunday morning battles are legit. Just go to church anyway! Hot mess and all. You’ll be glad you did!
Just a Mom’s View 