Sundays with babies

Now I love my babies, but....I have never loved Sunday mornings when mixed together with my babies!

I have been thinking about moms of young children in the church. First off, I know that we would all agree that there is no other time during our lives that we are more consistently woken up in the middle of the night to meet the needs of someone else, and often there are more than one someone elses. So it is a given that during this stage of our lives we are exhausted beyond anything most men could imagine. We also are the primary caregivers for these small ones and for a season are their primary source of food, too! Could the commitment get deeper? Well then you add days with no adult conversation, (except the telemarketers that hang up on you because you are begging for adult interaction) and all the calls that you get from well-meaning "other" adults that assume that because you are home you are "available", and your desire to try and hold the heads of your friends up that are drowning by helping with their kids. It all adds up to....a silent plea for help.

So where do we run...to church? Well see that is a whole new issue. When the bedraggled mother pulls herself together (for the third time due to spit up and other bodily functions being hurled at her) and straps children into the car and drags into the church, she is handed.... the church policy on nursery. "Congratulations, you have the opportunity to serve Jesus...What? Did you say that was not your area of giftedness? Well then, need I remind you that you must give back, I mean after all you brought these little ones in the church, you should care for them."
"Now we could call the dads to work, but unfortunately most of them have already been eaten alive by the overwhelming needs within the church. In fact, Dad has already been at church three nights this week and came two hours early this morning, so we can not even find him to ask him. No, no you can not claim that letting him serve is your service too just because it comes at great personal sacrifice as you spend your 150th hour alone with the children."
"If you are feeling so overwhelmed you should come to one of our women's Bible studies. You will be fed the Word (which you can not seem to catch at church among screaming 2 year olds) and will have time to fellowship, but...you will be required to bring money for childcare, and... some homemade food. This is a church sponsered event, so please wear nice, clean clothes."

Is it any wonder that we walk dazed out of church on Sunday and feel guilty about dreading it when it rolls around again?

Ladies, please do not get me wrong. I really do love church, but this (not so) tongue-in-cheek look at the church's ministry to young moms is the result of some conversations God brought my way and some walks down memory lane from just a few years ago. First off, it does get better as the kids get older. Second, shame on the Body of Christ for neglecting this section of the membership. No other section of the Body is so demanded of while they are still desperately needy. It is both the fault of the leadership for not recognizing the need and the women for not standing up and letting the need be known. Please lets find a way to start a revolution.

5% of the people in a church do 95% of the work (I have to believe most of these are mothers)
If that 5% where to make healthy boundaries and stand up for themselves, then a crisis would occur. This would open the door for the 10% of people that were just waiting to be asked, but did not think they measured up, to have a place to serve. It also would put pressure on the other 85% that need the delight of serving God. If we never say no, we will drown while others never have the need to say yes.