Church With Kids

Going to church with kids is hard. No getting around it. Getting my kids to sit quietly for over an hour each week is not something that I look forward to with joy. But I am so thankful that I have done this since Lucas was an infant. 

I'm not talking about bringing your kid to the nursery for church. That, to me, isn't really teaching my kids anything about God and why we are there. I'm talking about having kids in the pews, listening to the service, and being a part of the congregation. There have been Sundays that I did not want to go to church. I didn't want to worry about a meltdown or a whiney child, or having to drag a screaming toddler down the aisle. But we always go. Because I have explained to Lucas that we go to church on Sunday to show God that we love Him. What kind of message does it send my son if I don't go to church? It tells him that it isn't a priority. That it's not important to me, and therefor doesn't need to be important to him. Right now, Lucas is just three years old. But he already has learned from, and gotten used to going to church. 

The other week, I looked down while I was singing a mass part. Lucas was singing along with me. "Lord have mercy, lord have mercy, Christ have mercy."  He knew the words and the music. It made me so happy to see his involvement and interest in the mass. He says "lord hear our prayer" with the congregation. He shakes hands and says "Peace be with you." He says the Our Father. Then, last week we sang "One Bread, One Body" as the communion hymn. I guess that's a pretty common one that we have sung many times because Lucas sang the refrain with me each time it came around. These small ways that Lucas has found to be part of the celebration of mass make allllll the hard times we have had in the past three years at church every Sunday worth it. 

This is not to say that my toddler is the model of perfect behavior at mass every week. Oh no. Not even close. He still says he doesn't want to go to church most Sundays before we leave the house. But I know that the only way he is going to grow into his faith and into the man that I want him to be (and that God has tasked us to help form) is to keep going. Keep talking to him about our faith. Keep showing him that this is important through my own actions. And keep watching for those small but wonderful signs that he is slowly but surely absorbing and reflecting that faith in and love of God.

So keep going! Or go for the first time! It has to start somewhere. And why not now? Jesus loved the little children. And it's ok if they cry in his house. God doesn't mind. :) And one day, maybe three years from now, you will see the signs that your child is benefitting and learning from your perseverance.