SUNDAY MORNINGS . . .

Once upon a time when I had a houseful of little kids, Sunday mornings were NOT my favorite part of the week . . . I had to get them up, fed, dressed and ready to go to church . . . and no matter how carefully I planned, or what time church started, I ALWAYS hit snags . . . I often got to church already feeling frazzled and exhausted, and church hadn't even started yet!

Still, it was important to me that we attend church together as a family, so we did . . .

Over the years, as kids grew and got older and took over their own 'getting ready' there were still plenty of challenges to getting to church on time (or better yet, a little early) . . . neatly dressed . . . focused on the Savior and the sabbath . . . and being in the mindset to listen and be taught -- either by the speakers and teachers or simply by the Spirit . . .

Now my children are grown and gone . . . I can leave in plenty of time to make it a little early and listen to the beautiful prelude music as I try to clear away the 'static' from the week past . . . I can close my eyes to soak it in, and not even worry about what one of my little people is doing while I am not watching . . .

My Sunday mornings are now as peaceful as I could ever have hoped for . . . I only have myself to get ready . . . myself to get out the door . . . myself to keep track of during the meetings . . . my own behavior to monitor . . .

I can listen to each speaker and ponder their message . . . I can listen to the Spirit whisper course corrections I need to make or comfort and hope . . . I can keep my eyes closed during the ENTIRE sacrement, and not worry about who is doing what around me . . . I can bring everything I need for classes or lessons . . .

I can spend my Sundays focused on what I am there for . . .






And I do enjoy them . . . I really do . . .


But . . . I MISS my wiggley little companions . . . I miss trying to teach them (with varying degrees of success) to be reverent and the importance of what they are hearing and learning . . . I miss having to keep one eye slightly open during prayers so that I can see if any pinching or wrestling is going on . . .



Funny . . . huh? Now that I have the peace and serenity I longed for all those busy, hectic years . . . now I long for the semi controlled chaos that used to characterize my Sundays . . .