Being privileged to go visiting a few Sundays ago, I attended church in Springfield with our brothers and sisters there. I sat behind a young mother with 3 very active sons. They appeared to be in an age range from 3 to 6 years. She struggled valiantly to keep them quiet and occupied during the service. You could tell she was doing her best to keep her ‘brood’ from disturbing or distracting anyone’s worship.

I was very empathetic toward her problem, as I notice many little mammas in our congregation wrestling with the same dilemma each week. This poor mother could not expect much help from her husband and father of the boys – because he was preaching. So it’s the preachers wife and PK’s (preacher’s kid) in the spotlight. I was not real surprised, being a PK myself and getting into my share of trouble in church. In my rapidly encroaching old age, I have come to realize that children are children wherever they may be. Parental struggles are also pretty much the same as they always were and always will be.

Rather than be critical and criticize her for her children’s actions, or their “disturbing my worship”, I was reminded that these moms are doing a GREAT JOB! They could stay home (it would be much easier and less embarrassing) and use that as an excuse not to “disturb” or “distract” others. On the contrary, they chose to bring those children and thereby teach and instruct them (eventually—after all I learned…) that the worship of God is the most important thing we can do as individuals. I don’t believe that I or anyone else will go to hell if we get distracted by a child during worship service. Believe me, there are far worse offenses, I am sure, that we need to be concerned over. And even though these moms have probably not heard a complete sermon in who knows when, we need to acknowledge the lessons they teach each and every service they attend with their children. After all, they are following a direct command that Jesus gave to his disciples….‘permit the children to come unto me, don’t hinder them…’
(Mk 10: 13-15). If we discourage moms by our actions are we not just like the rebuking disciples (vs. 13), and judging by what Jesus also said (vs 14), we might ‘oughta’ get used to it – for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” So instead of wrinkling our brows, or criticizing these moms with ‘noisy’ babies…encourage them. Let them know they are not alone, many of us have “been there, done that, and got the T-shirt”, and that their labors are not in vain.

Isn’t that what “loving one another” is all about? Again – could it really be that simple?