A Look is Worth a Thousand Words

Let me set the scene........Jr. High, big church, sitting hipbone to hipbone with all my best friends, in the "youth" section. Do you have a mental picture? Now picture tons of notes being passed (I am sure they were folded in the oh so cool way that we used to send notes) and the silent giggles that took place while sitting in the pew. Got it? Well...this didn't fly real well with my choir member mother. She had a bird's eye view of everything that was going on each Sunday. As hard as I tried to keep my head down and not look up at her, it never seemed to work. I always seemed to catch her eye......the evil eye is what we called it. Some of you may know this look....one eyebrow raised and a very stern look plastered upon a face. The eye that gave us the look that said...."I see what you are doing and it needs to stop....NOW! Stop folding notes in 48 different ways and stop the giggling/whispering. Listen to Pastor Toby!" She didn't have to say a word.....the eye said all. I was a pleaser, so most of the time the look worked.

Now - let me describe to you what my Sunday mornings are like as that mom that seems to have inherited that same look. Landon is now attending the service with us because he has started kindergarten. I wasn't quite sure what this would be like, but I can tell you that I can't really remember what the message was about yesterday. I spent my time keeping a 5-yr-old busy with coloring, writing, drawing, etc. And, my look, although the same in appearance, means new things.
1. Get up.....we are singing and everyone else is standing. You have to stand as well.
2. Stop plugging your ears while the choir is singing.
3. We are now praying...bow your head and close your eyes.
4. I said we are praying...put down the crayon, bow your head and close your eyes.
5. Get your feet off the pew in front of you. Even though we don't use those hymnals anymore, you can't use them as a footrest.
6. I am sorry you are thirsty. I was never allowed to leave the service until it was over....and the same goes for you.
7. Pick a color from the loud plastic crayon box and stick with it. Stop thumbing through them all.....everyone is looking at us!
8. Come on....you want to color a page out of the sweet Bible story coloring book I bought you for church, don't you? Fine....you can color one from the Power Ranger Jungle Fury coloring book instead....just because I don't want to cause a scene.
9. If you ask me when it will be over one more time, I am going to throw you from this balcony and really cause a scene!
10. The service will be over after this one song....and yes you have to stand up again.

Looks like I will be purchasing most of my sermons on CD now that I am attending the service with my 5-yr-old. Thanks for teaching me to raise my eyebrow, Mom!