The old church was a lovely peaceful place to worship with its great acoustics: wood plank floor, white plastered walls, oak pews, and vaulted wood ceiling.
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| Many worshipers found peace here.... |
Sounds bounced around that sanctuary. Music, whispers from the back row, giggles from teenagers, and even the crinkle of a candy wrapper were heard by the congregants.
A young family found a spot in the third row from the altar. Coming late made the front pews the only ones open. The three children settled in for the sermon. The oldest girl went to sit with a friend, while the mother took the fussy baby girl to the adjoining nursery where she could hear the sermon through the intercom.
The father smiled benignly through most of the sermon before dropping off to sleep. This was not uncommon, but usually the wife gave him the elbow jab. Not today.
That left the three-year old boy who found enjoyment with his double-jointed fingers and his imagination. Fingers could become galloping horses or speeding race cars. Today his fingers were alien spaceships. They were engaged in a fierce battle.
That left the three-year old boy who found enjoyment with his double-jointed fingers and his imagination. Fingers could become galloping horses or speeding race cars. Today his fingers were alien spaceships. They were engaged in a fierce battle.
My husband is legendary is his ability to drop off to sleep in church.
As the struggle for space domination heated up, the boy stood up to use the back ledge of the second row pew to help better stage the drama.
Sweet Grandma House always sat there in the second row pew. People who visited the church often commented on this saintly woman with her fluffy white hair and lovely pink hat. Bless her heart; Grandma House was blind, and nearly deaf. She could just hear the sermon if she sat in that spot, with her hearing aid cranked up high.
The little boy situated himself directly behind her precious white head, and resumed the space battle.
Zooommm. Ch-ch-ch-ch! Aaaaaa…kabooooom! Crashhhhhh. The fingers/spaceships faced off on either side of the white hair, pink hat planet.
The fingers/spaceships met at the pinnacle of the hat, and collided in a glorious explosion. Kerrrr-aasshhhh! Nooooo…ker-ploom! P-shhhhhhh!
The congregation held its breath, watching the battle, and waiting for the space debris to shower down on Grandma House's head. The pastor had paused to allow the dying alien fighters some dignity.
The final notes of music filled the church just about then. Church ended.
Dear Grandma House stood and turned around. “What a precious family you have,” she smiled to the young couple. “So quiet!” Then she handed the boy a car she had caught during a battle.
Smirk sounds trailed after the family.
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| Many glorious sounds reach to the heavens.... |
If you have ever been in a church where a little boy is having a space battle, let me know. I have witnessed such.
This is a repost from September 2012. We will be visiting our son and family in Chicago. One son is 3+ and 2nd son is 20 months. We have never seen or held the baby, but we will enjoy space battles of their own. Their daddy was a conqueror.
I'm sure the Lord enjoyed every moment of that time as his precious son did battle.
ReplyDeleteWith all the terror in the world, God created warriors in church.
DeleteI am smiling big time. That is a perfect description of many church services. I will admit to hearing the giggling of teens also. Also will admit to day dreaming and being mesmerized by my own double jointed thumbs. LOL
ReplyDeleteGood one girl
Sherry & jack in NC doing...... I forgot.
I bet you were one heck of a space warrior.
DeleteEnjoy seeing your son and grandkids!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited!
DeleteHave a wonderful visit!
ReplyDeleteThis morning I was in church and our chanter has a young son who is 3ish...when Mom was distracted by the baby, he slowly walked up the side isle, and when he noticed Mom was not following, he raced the rest of the way up to the chanter's stand to hand out with his Dad. It was so cute.
Sweet baby! Excellent!
DeleteDon't you just love the abandon of little ones? I wish I had seen his space battle.
ReplyDeleteI swear we supported Cheerios' industry on Sundays.
DeleteSometimes church services can be really entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI was feeding our baby and noticed our 2+ yr old son stepped out into the center aisle and started pulling his pants down. I hoisted him up and raced to the toilet. Success.
DeleteAren't they supposed to be paying attention?
ReplyDeleteIn a theorectery way, yes.
DeleteKids can do some of the best stuff in church.
ReplyDeleteOne friend of my mother was in church on Good Friday for the very somber service. At a moment when the church was dark and quiet, everyone contemplating the death of Jesus, her three-year-old jumped up on the pew and yelled, "Will someone tell me just what the h*ll is going on here!"
Mom says her friend almost dove under a pew for shame.
OH, that is too good!
DeleteThat first picture is so blindingly white! Even the oak pews don't help.
ReplyDeleteSound reverberates within the wall, and those pews were hard.
DeleteWhen I was four, my neighbor boy was a shepherd in the Christmas play at church. I saw him and yelled as loud as I could that Les (his name) was wearing his bathrobe in church. Out of the mouths and imaginations of babes.
ReplyDeleteYou were bold, girl.
ReplyDeleteThe boy had his own idea about how to celebrate a church service. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your visit with your son and the grandkids.
He did it up right, didn't he?
DeleteEnjoy your visit. The imagination of children is something special. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThey can make a story or game with just about anything.
DeleteSuerte con tu visita y buen relato. Te mando un beso
ReplyDeleteEnamorada de las letras
We are so excited to see them. I will cover their faces with kisses.
DeleteSusan, this is SO precious! I, too have witnessed similar.
ReplyDeleteI asked a friend to paint me a picture of a little girl peeping over the back of a pew. (I’ve had plenty of chances to take a photo of such a thing, but picture taking is NOT encouraged in our congregation!)So many times, I’ve just had to smile as a little face pops up and the toys rain down.
That’s usually much of what keeps ME awake! ;)
The boy wins in cuteness.
DeleteKeeping young children quiet in church is so hard, I remember it well. It's great when they are very young and go to the creche, but when they are a little older and you are trying so hard to get them to stop them making noise, it's not fun!
ReplyDeleteChildren are creative.
DeleteAs many 'space battles' and such as I had back then, never tried it at church. Of course, while my dad might not have been paying attention, he never fell asleep.
ReplyDeleteI can see you having space battles in all sorts of places.
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