I See You in the Church Pew, Mama

I see you in the church pew, mama.

I see you wrangling your toddler, shushing your preschooler, and responding with exasperation to your third-grader. I see you digging through your oversized tote (the one with endless space that felt like a great purchase, but quickly became an inescapable black hole) searching for goldfish, reaching for those crayons. I see your hair tossed hastily in a bun, your blouse stained from the coffee that inevitably spilled on your way out the door (your presence here this morning sans-coffee is true testament to your perseverance). 

Most importantly, though, I see you leading precious souls to Jesus.

You brought your children to the Lord’s house, a place that, God-willing, will always feel like home to them. You chose serving as a human jungle gym for your one-year-old, and quietly, but firmly reasoning with your eight-year-old over watching Sunday morning cartoons and slowly sipping your coffee. You chose hair bows and suspenders over pajamas. You chose car seat straps over soft, snuggly blankets.

You chose to prioritize time with Jesus, and those efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Motherhood often comes with unwelcome insecurity. You are constantly competing with copious amounts of highlight reels on social media, balancing advice of well-meaning family members, and contemplating unsolicited comments of strangers. Rare are the moments where you feel like you are doing it right, where you feel like you are doing enough.

Mama, this is one of those moments. You are doing it right.

Because even as you reach for the book that was thrown on the floor for the 837th time, the Holy Spirit is there with you. Seeds of faith are being planted in your child’s heart (and yours!) while you simultaneously soothe your newborn’s cries and wipe your toddler’s nose. Relationships with God are being strengthened right there in that pew.

These moments, these exhausting seconds will not last forever. Like everything else in parenthood, this is a phase–a season that will pass (and seemingly all too soon). You will not be wrestling during the sermon forever. 

The seeds of faith, though? The relationship with their Savior? Those are forever. Those are the flames, the “smoldering wick he will not snuff out” (Matthew 12:20). 

These songs, these sermons? They are making a lasting impact. They are growing a heart for Jesus, preparing souls to be heaven-bound. These Sundays in the pew are making an eternal impact. 

I see you in the church pew, mama–and I have no doubt, even as you wrangle and reason, that this is exactly where you need to be.