To the Mother of the Wild Child in My Pew

Hey girl,

I see you. I see you trying to keep your kid on lockdown during prayer. I see you dodging flailing arms during worship. I see you, jamming gummies in your kid's mouth trying to keep him from yelling back at the preacher during his sermon. I see that look of failure as your child attempts to storm the platform. And yes, I see the side-eye you're getting from the other parishioners as you sit helpless in the face of your tithe-envelope throwing hymnal scribbling, matchbox car throwing offspring. And I have one thing to say to you...

I'm proud of you.

I'm proud of you for raising your child in God's house even when every voice in your head (and perhaps some whispers behind you) say you should've stayed home. I'm proud of you for filling your child's ears with the sound of worship and their mind with the Word. I'm proud of you for recognizing that you CANNOT raise a child in this world in your own strength. I'm proud of you for acknowledging that without God's help, you can't be the mom He called you to be.

I know it's hard. I know that every time someone looks your way you assume it's because they are annoyed. Those sensitivities come naturally in a world where moms are judged constantly. The fact is, I don't know if you're right or not. But I know this-it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you and your baby need to be in church. If those people really don't want you here, then that's an issue between them and God since the Word demands that we welcome children among us.

But know this, if I look at you it isn't out of judgment, it's out of respect for a woman who got up way too early on a Sunday to make breakfast, fought your child to get dressed, and tried to make yourself look presentable enough so that no one says "have you been sleeping? Because you look awful" during the greeting portion of the morning.

I know motherhood is lonely. That's why you need to be here. You need this community. You need me. You even need Sister side-eye. And this community, including side-eye and myself need you and your baby to be a part of our family.

So don't give up. Don't let the enemy convince you that everyone is better off with you locked up at home. Like any predator, he's trying to separate you from the herd so he can devour you-don't let him.