Hebrews 10:25
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
I love church. I enjoy going, listening to the service, and singing the songs. I also enjoy seeing people and catching up with them. This may sound surprising since I am very much an introvert, but I truly appreciate the need for fellowship.
Since having my baby, Sunday mornings have become a steady routine, which is a huge blessing. Whether she is asleep or awake, Baby and I usually sit in the main service—as long as she doesn’t decide to sing the song of her people. By the second service, she is either getting tired or restless, so we head into the nursery for her to play or nap, giving me a chance to fellowship with other moms. Sundays are nice. Sundays are enjoyable.
But I have begun to hate Wednesdays. For the longest time, I have asked myself: what is the point of going to Wednesday night services as a mom? Specifically as a mom of a little one—a child who really needs to go to bed right as service is beginning, or at least before it ends. My struggle is that if she sleeps in the nursery or even on the car ride home, I won’t be able to transfer her to her crib, and we will be in for a very long night. So why should I bother going? Couldn’t I just stay home, listen to the livestream while putting her down for bed, and keep everyone fine and dandy?
The truth is, I could. But as I realized this week, I would be doing my family a disservice. My husband feels bad leaving me behind on Wednesdays, so it becomes a struggle for him to go and stay focused. If I get out of the habit of midweek services, it might become a temptation to skip Sunday services, too. And my sweet child—she has barely begun to experience church. She won’t have the opportunity to get acclimated to the nursery. Wednesday nights might become something she never experiences, and church (and dare I say, God) might become unimportant to her, simply because Wednesdays are hard right now.
Tempting though it may be to stay home, Wednesdays are still a time of assembly. It is still a chance to fellowship, a time to exhort and encourage one another, and an opportunity to be a blessing. It is a time for me to support my husband in his desire to attend, and a time to foster an attitude of consistency for my daughter. It may be hard in the short run, but it will be a much bigger blessing in the long run.
Photo by Yan Krukau: https://www.pexels.com/photo/girl-holding-multi-colored-wooden-abacus-8613095/
