One Church

Sunday was my long-avoided head-long plunge into giving of my time (service) to Mars Hill; specifically the Children's Ministry. I had an earlier foray with the 'Welcome Team' which sputtered out like a cranky lawn mower. I know enough of myself to realize that I am one that needs to be kept busy, otherwise I atrophy into a recluse. The 'Welcome Team' just stands around chatting and waiting for someone to ask them a question as to how to get 'plugged in' to the chaotic family reunion that is Mars Hill. Just for the record; standing around, chatting... not my shtick.

So, I thought that dealing with kids would keep me suitably busy. (Insert half-crazed, facial twitching laughter here). Did it ever. I was in the 'Toddler 1' room with three others, (all very congenial as with everyone that I've met in that Ministry), the name of the room giving one a clue as to the age of the tykes therein enclosed. I have never even been around kids of that age for any sort of appreciable time, I had some experience years ago with grade 2 kids, which is a great age but toddlers? diapers? CRYING?

The objective was to distract the kids with some toy while their parent quickly ducked out of the room so as to delay or hopefully avoid the 'separation crying'. "Look! Bright, shiny thing! And it has wheels! Wheels I tell you! Isn't it FANTASTIC!?" This seemed to work with most subjects and explained why the room was filled with toys.. they will be needed just like the crate of AK-47's I have stored in the bunker... It was a most vexing chain-reaction, when one would cry, the others would look around and guess that "well, must be a reason" and join in on the maddening chorus.

The personalities were incredibly interesting though. One tyke in particular, 'Elijah' was definitely the brute of the room, being more aggressive and possessive than the rest. But the moment that one of the girls would remember that their mother wasn't there and start in on the crying, he would get extremely worried and run to me to hold him. After about thirty-seconds he'd be fine and I'd be able to set him down.

And the end of this (nearly two hours), I was drained... and a little shell-shocked from the crying. That time was about as much work as two really busy days at work, I don't know how parents retain their sanity. But I like service to the church, I like having that responsibility and of thinking of everyone in terms of a family. I think it's a really quite novel concept in this postmodern world, with distant, broken biologic families and self-centered lives. Not to say that it is a 'new' idea, certainly not it is a very old one. But a welcome one.

And the best reason for serving with kids?

Chicks dig it.