Setting Aside the Snack

We often struggle to keep the girls focused on short devotions. Kyrie really wants to participate but it is so hard for her to hold still. Evie, is, well, uncertain she wants to participate. Sometimes I worry about this. Ben was wonderful at engaging in worship and church from a young age; Kyrie has the heart for it...with wiggles. She is most likely to ask the hard God questions. Evie just never has had any interest.

Until...Children's church. Our church here in Michigan is far away, inconvenient, and so heart-breakingly perfect for where our hearts want to be. We really did plan on finding something closer and it was rather like my grandma said when she lamented never dating anyone but my grandfather: "But what do you do when you find the perfect one first?"

Lamb's Liturgy is a short children's church that takes place during the sermon. It is for 3-8 year olds and we battled it out with Ev for a few Sundays until Fr. Kenneth said she was fine to go a few months early. She was so proud to go off with Kyrie who mothered her and took care of her the entire time. The first couple of times I heard only about the snack. (Ev loves to talk and she loves to snack.) And then, gradually, she would mention something she learned in children's church. But it is still about the snack.

And I suppose, that so much of my worship is about the snack too. What are you going to give me today God? That's so much of my focus.

Lent is a time for me to skip the snack. I'm terrible at it and this Lenten season has been worse than most. But it has forced me to recognize the tendency I share with my culture: the desire to compartmentalize God into a small corner of my life. I too often make time with Him a quick check on my list of things to accomplish. I want to grab a bit of God off the snack table and keep on.

At the beginning of the day, I need to reorient my mind for a few minutes of quiet. At the end of the day, I check in and look back. Did I keep my heart in tune with the road to Calvary today? Or did I live life consumed with distractions that force out the big picture? Did I seize teachable moments with my children or shuffle them to something so I could keep on with my list? Did I listen?

Next week is Holy Week. I'm a little terrified. There is some fasting involved and I'm just not good at it. But the real question is: Will I set aside the Friday snack for an Easter meal?

Follow.