Sundays

I was in the car with the kiddos tonight and we were listening to the radio. Brother sat up front with me and like any child sitting in the front, proceeded to play with the knobs. After I scold him for playing with the heater several times he moves his attention to the radio. He puts it on a country station. Now, I'm not too familiar with country music, so I couldn't tell you who was singing. But the name of the song was "That's What I Love About Sundays". It was a man singing in a twangy drawl. He sang about getting up and drinking coffee and reading the paper, going to church where "everyone had a smile on their face". When they come home from church they eat fried chicken and baked beans and slip into their blue jeans. Then he watches football and sits on the porch swing and watches the neighbors. It all sounds very leisurely and quaint. And I'm wondering, why don't my Sundays go like that? I'll tell you why...because I'm the mom!! Where the heck is this guy's wife? I'll guarantee you she's not reading the paper on Sunday morning. She's up rushing around making sure all their kids are fed, clean and dressed up, not to mention herself, so everyone at church will tell him what a beautiful family he has while wearing a smile. The smiles are probably mostly fake, because they're all wearing their church faces, and they're all thinking his kids are brats and hoping they don't have to watch them in children's church. And who cooks that fried chicken and baked beans when they get home? And then who cleans up the greasy mess that fried chicken makes since he has a football game to watch? Nope, my Sundays don't sound like his song. I can't ever remember a leisurely Sunday that included getting up and going to church with my family.

But I will say this...I love my church family. I can come without showering or makeup and no one cares. I don't have to make sure my kids are wearing their best. I don't have to plaster on a smile. I look forward to being with them and worshipping with them. I am free to be me...warts and all. That's what I love about Sundays.