If you happen to sit beside me ( or even in the same room as me) at church. I'm sorry. I know that their is a nursery available, and I do use it during Sunday school, but I like the idea of my whole family beside me at church. Even if that means I am more focused on shoving cheerios in Tess's mouth or keeping Owen from coloring in the hymnal than I am on the sermon.
This morning Tess "sang" loudly during the worship, chattered and tooted during the prayers, shoved little tiny fistfuls of Gerber puffs into the seat cushions, droppered her toy repeatedly into the women's purse in front of us and managed to crawl two pews ahead before an usher finally picked her up.
During the service and afterwards, I was approached by no less than a dozen people who just want to hold her, ask about her, squeeze her chubby little palm, rub her bald head and accept her sloppery kisses. No one complained about her behavior ( at least not out loud). They all smiled and cooed. Some were friends. Some were complete strangers. Some were old and have great grandbabies of their own, some were not even old enough to babysit. Some were ministers. One was the janitor emptying the trash. Tess didn't seem to care what kind of person they were, just that they were smiling and reaching out.
There is something about babies that is engaging. People who would usually be suffice with a hello, linger and ask to hold her. Strangers in line strike up converstaions. Even old men flirt mercilessly when she flashes a gummy grin. Babies are pretty approachable like that. They don't do small talk. They don't judge. They don't care what brand you have on or how much money you have stored away in your 401K. They don't know if you preached the sermon, fell asleep during it or took out the trash. Babies just seem to notice grins, tone of voice and open arms (and donut holes and things that are shiny).
I think Jesus knew there was something to this baby thing. Maybe this is why made his grand appearance in a manger. And maybe he wanted to be approached and held and loved by anyone who was willing. And He still does.
This morning Tess "sang" loudly during the worship, chattered and tooted during the prayers, shoved little tiny fistfuls of Gerber puffs into the seat cushions, droppered her toy repeatedly into the women's purse in front of us and managed to crawl two pews ahead before an usher finally picked her up.
During the service and afterwards, I was approached by no less than a dozen people who just want to hold her, ask about her, squeeze her chubby little palm, rub her bald head and accept her sloppery kisses. No one complained about her behavior ( at least not out loud). They all smiled and cooed. Some were friends. Some were complete strangers. Some were old and have great grandbabies of their own, some were not even old enough to babysit. Some were ministers. One was the janitor emptying the trash. Tess didn't seem to care what kind of person they were, just that they were smiling and reaching out.
There is something about babies that is engaging. People who would usually be suffice with a hello, linger and ask to hold her. Strangers in line strike up converstaions. Even old men flirt mercilessly when she flashes a gummy grin. Babies are pretty approachable like that. They don't do small talk. They don't judge. They don't care what brand you have on or how much money you have stored away in your 401K. They don't know if you preached the sermon, fell asleep during it or took out the trash. Babies just seem to notice grins, tone of voice and open arms (and donut holes and things that are shiny).
I think Jesus knew there was something to this baby thing. Maybe this is why made his grand appearance in a manger. And maybe he wanted to be approached and held and loved by anyone who was willing. And He still does.
Comments
Anyway, you will be so glad you started your babies out in big church. It helps them learn how to be still and quiet and be a part of the worship as they get older.
One of my pet peeves are parents who send their too-big kids to the nursery b/c they can't sit still for the service.
I always used to apologize to the people sitting around us, in case my baby was too distracting or a little noisy, but everyone was just so happy to see him!