A Little Perspective

There was a family at church that always walked in late. Every single week. Parents, two daughters and their son. I would watch them down the aisle, toward the pew, step their way over people sitting on the end and into their seats. And it always seemed to be about twenty minutes into the service. I tried not to think about - after all, they were coming to church - but it did get my attention. Gosh, I thought, if you're always going to be twenty minutes late, then just start a half hour earlier in the morning.

Then I had kids.

Two of them. And WE were the ones walking in late. Getting the boys fed, dressed, allowing time for the two of us to get ready as well as the twenty five minute commute, I didn't think we would ever be able to make it. No matter how hard I tried, it felt like we'd never make it on time for the 9:15am service... err, the 9am service.

Talk about a little perspective.

I sat pretty comfy in my warm pew seat, careful to point out other families' flaws without having one of my own. It's always easier to point out what other people are doing wrong, isn't it, especially if it's something we've never done? The crying baby at the grocery store, the crazy lady yelling at her kids from the front seat of her car, the little girl who didn't follow our directions. We have NO idea the stories behind these situations and hence, we are no position to judge.

When the boys were about seven months old, we began taking them to the nursery so we could enjoy the church service from INside the sanctuary, something we weren't able to do since before the boys were born. (The slope in the sanctuary was too uncomfortable for me and my very pregnant self, so we had been used to sitting in the cryer's nursery or the front foyer, listening to the sermon on the televisions for about a year!) It was so nice to be able to take the boys to a place where others would care for them while we enjoy being ministered to for more than an hour.

When we approached the desk to sign the boys in, I recognized the family behind the desk. It was THEM. The family that always came in late. Every one of them. They were the ones helping get kids signed in, parents settled and direct any questions. Hmm. I didn't think much of it at the time. Andy and I took the boys to the nursery and then walked to our seats inside the sanctuary. About ten minutes later, that family came walking in. They walked down the aisle, to their pew, and over the people sitting on the end. All five of them. It was twenty minutes into the service. They had finished their time at the sign in desk and were now coming in to enjoy the service.

Ouch.

That's why they were twenty minutes late all of the time. They weren't late. They were helping with ministry. In fact, they were probably one of the first families here! And to make me feel even worse, they were coming early to help people like ME.

I've apologized to that family in my heart and am now trying to keep an open mind when it comes to the things that us parents do to help care for our family. After all, we're all doing our best.

Amazing what a little perspective will do.