My Season

A few weeks ago we went to an extended family party on a Sunday evening and someone told me I looked nice.  I said , "Well that is nice to hear after today!" 

"Did you have a bad day?"  she asked.

"No.  It's just Sunday."  I said

Then she went on to tell me that it is not my season to learn and gain from church.  It is my season for my kids to learn that we go.  "Now's not your time..."

Sundays can be difficult with seven children.  I really hope that I don't die on a Sunday.  My house is the MESSIEST on Sunday.  All the people would be coming over to my house to offer condolences to my family and I would be yelling down from heaven (I hope), " It doesn't always look like this!  I had to get to church!  We are civilized people!"  Let me share with you some of my Sunday experiences, no matter how much I prepare and plan ahead.

-Wet, naked boys running around whipping each other with their towels.  They can't seem to focus on getting dressed for church.

-Mismatched buttons, lost shoes, white socks with black pants, and ties in all the wrong places.

-One morning as the kids were loading in the van to go to church, they were bickering and fighting with each other so loudly! I came out and told them to stop!  Then our big, full, van pulled out and we headed towards the church.  I felt awesome when I noticed the non-member neighbors sitting on their front porch earshot from us.

-Boys wrestling in the back seat of the van the whole way to church.  When we arrived shirts where untucked, hair was a mess,  ties were missing, and grins were huge.  Nobody would have ever known that five minutes earlier, they all looked so handsome!

-Brad was upset that we made him late for church.  We pulled the giant van into the parking spot.  Brad yelled, "You made me late!" then he entered the glass door to the church, turned around, locked it, and proceeded to the chapel where he prepared the sacrament.  We went around and unlocked the door for us and several others.  I entered the chapel to see Brad sitting there on the front row ready to pass the sacrament.  Ahhh, the Spirit was with us all.

-I've spent hours over the last  15 years in the mother's room missing classes.

-Spilled Cherrios, colored pencils, crayons, and wadded up papers.

-I believe it was James that threw a paper airplane during Sacrament meeting and it got some good airtime before landing Sister Anderson's lap.

-I can't remember which boy chucked a toy a few pews over.

-While leaving the church house one Sunday with two very fussy young children that I had been dealing with in an empty class room for a very long time, I was carrying my baby on my hip and holding the hand of my two year old who was beside me.  I was wearing high healed boots.  I was trying to walk down the concrete steps to the parking lot.  The two year old kept turning toward me, cutting in front of me, crying for me to lift him up.   That was when I tripped and we all fell down.  I landed straight down on both knees with my arms extended in the air holding the baby.  I stood up to see blood dripping down my legs.  Two year old was crying,  baby was crying, and honestly, I was holding back the tears myself.

I do want my children to have a positive outlook on going to church and the entire Sabbath day.  I try to always be dedicated to the Gospel!  I try my best!  I try to listen at church and take something good from it.  Then I try to improve myself.  Even though it is harder now, I can still feel the Spirit and walk away enlightened and moved to do better, be better.

It is not my season to have serenity on the Sabbath.  It is my season to be more challenged to focus.  It is my season to teach my children that I love church.  It is my season to hear my kids wake up and ask, "Is it church day?"  It is my season to bathe and clean up my kids and have them all clean and dressed  in their best for three hours.  It is my season to comb boys hair for church and fix girl's hair.  It is my season to physically hold small children close to my heart during my meetings.   It is my season to have all my children sit with me at church.  It is my season to wear comfy shoes to church.  It is my season to enjoy seeing other faithful  families and feel  comradery from them.  It is my season to see my sisters in the Gospel and be strengthened by them.  It is my season to learn more about the scriptures and Gospel topics during Sunday School and Relief Society  from other faithful members.  It is my season to worship my Savior by faithfully attending church and making it the best I can for me.  It is my season to not feel alone in my desire to follow God, not man.  It is my season to appreciate others teaching my children to follow God.  It is my season to gather my children together after church.  It is my season to walk home from church holding my seven and eight year old boys' hands.  It is my season to hear my children tell me what they learned at church.  It is my season to eat sandwiches, burritos, frozen pizzas, or grilled burgers on Sunday so I spend less time in the kitchen.  It is my season to enjoy the one day of the week I don't do laundry.  It is my season to watch Veggie Tales and Liken the Scripture videos.  It is my season to read books, play games, and walk to the park on the Sabbath.  It is my season to teach scriptures to my children.  It is my season to watch the home teacher juggle my little kids while he tries to deliver a message.  It is my season to have my young family home with me every Sunday.  It is my season to enjoy where my life is right now and know that someday I'll miss it.  It is my season to strengthen my testimony of the Book of Mormon.  It is my season love my Savior and remember Him.