Sunday is a big day for my family. We go to Sunday School and Worship with our church family. My husband has an 8am meeting before Church every Sunday, and the kids and I leave the house at 9 and we all usually return around 1pm. I’m the Children’s Ministries Director, so that means that I oversee the happenings of the kids on Sunday morning.
Things fall apart a little bit when unexpected things happen.
We’ve been a little sick this week. The flu took down 2 Kindergarten teachers. The day started on a bit of a rocky start.
One of my sons pitched the biggest fit because he didn’t want to put on his raincoat because it had firefighter designs on it, and he’s too big for that. “Put it on because I told you to!”
As we were getting in the car, my eldest son said that he felt cold and that his tummy hurt. “What? Do you feel sick?” … “I don’t think so…”
I needed to prep the craft for the substitute Kindergarten teachers, and the fit from son #2 didn’t help with our early arrival. I was still stapling madly when kids were arriving.
Midway through the song and dance routine of the Morning Assembly, my eldest said that he felt sick. “Go to the bathroom!” My husband (A/V technician, and 2nd Grade Sunday School teacher) followed him and then went home.
That left me with a substitute Kindergarten teacher who had never been part of the Morning Assembly before to now play a major role – A/V man for the ancient computer and projector. (He did a great job, by the way…)
So! I had a great idea to review the Old Testament History (Genesis-Return from Exile) on the big screen using images from our favorite curriculum The Gospel Project. After 3 images, the projector went blank. What? Okay. Go with inferior little pages from my flipbook.
Thankfully the projector came back to life for the hilarious song from “What’s in the Bible” that reviewed the Poetry Books of the Bible. Those creators of Veggie Tales really knocked it out of the park with those DVDs. They’re fantastic!
The Worship service was great. Our pastor is preaching through the very difficult book of Job. Today’s sermon was about Job’s friends, and how they serve as an example of how we are not to act when our friends are in need.
How should we act? 1. Practical (Meet their needs – don’t ask them to tell you how you can help. Just help! Bring a meal, help with the kids, pick up groceries, etc…)
2. Humble (You don’t know what to say – that’s okay! Just be there for them.)
3. Patient (They’re in a difficult situation. They might say or do something out of character. Give them grace.)
4. Prayerful (In our prayer for those who suffer we long to connect them with the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who is able to comfort us in all our troubles (2 Cor. 1:3,4))
Here’s a quote that really resonated with me: “When people are in the depths of pain some taste of the love of God is what they most need, but it is in that condition that many find it most difficult to pray. Shall we not pray for them?”
My neighbors, who are my age, have been going through a very difficult time. And they will continue to for years to come. I have felt for years that God placed them near me so that my family can be Christ’s love to them. I know what they need most is to know their Heavenly Father. This message spoke to me of, “You’re doing well, Ursula, and keep it up. Be more patient. Don’t grow weary of helping, and certainly don’t grow weary of praying. You’re my instrument of Christ’s love.”
I blinked back the tears and marched on to straighten up the Sunday School rooms with my 2 remaining boys.
And what did I discover when I got home? A pretty clean kitchen and a tuna melt. 
And in an hour… vomit to clean up from the floor. Oh well. It’s all part of the job.
suburban shebear 