Church

Can I just start by saying I am completely exhausted. I’m in that phase of being so tired that my eyeballs actually hurt. It’s not the fact that I have five kids and am still nursing a baby that doesn’t sleep through the night, although that may have something to do with it. Add to that working three nights a week. I went back to work last weekend, and this weekend I am beat. Jeff did get a set of plans last week, so hopefully we will be back in business next week. Stupid housing market.

Anyway, I took all five kids to church last week, and we tried it again this week. Nik decided to stay home since he didn’t want to take off his Batman costume. Our only rule about wearing costumes is that you cannot wear them to church. Mean mom, I know. It was communion Sunday at church, so there wasn’t any Sunday school. The boys all went to play until communion. I’m going to a Presbyterian church now since they are the most liberal in theology, but lack the liberal political spin that dominates the Unitarian and UCC churches out here in liberal land. When I found out the minister’s wife homeschools too, I knew I was in the right place. Anyway, the kids came in for communion. Jake was up with a little girl he met and her mother. I went through the line with Lucas and Alex. I heard the minister tell someone grape juice. I walked the kids back to the playroom and came back to service. The minister began speaking after everyone had sat down. He commented on how they sometimes take things for granted when taking communion. He told the congregation that Jake had come up, he (the minister) said “The blood of Christ.” Jake looked at him and said, “What is it?” The minister replied, “Grape juice.” Jake then took the juice, put the little cup back, and said, “Yum.” At least the minister found humor in this, as did the rest of the congregation. After service there was a potluck. The kids were great! They were so well behaved. Lucas even got napkins for all the kids at his table. (that would be Lucas, Alex, Jake, and a little girl) It was amazing how many women offered to help me with something. The minister’s wife has four kids herself and remembered how no one assisted her when they were little, so she made sure to offer. It was wonderful. What a difference from our last church. Another woman with four grown children hugged me and thanked us for coming because it reminds her of when hers were little and what a joy they are. This is what church and community should be. If I weren’t so blasted tired I might be able to bask in the joy of that today. Right now I am trying to get the energy to get up and get ready for work.