A Thank You

After serving the last few months as interim children's minister at my church, I have a renewed appreciation for the people who serve in children's ministry. I am finding they so often go unnoticed, from people that is, God  always notices. So here is a heartfelt thank you.

I think back to when my husband and I made the decision to find a church home and start attending regularly with our daughter when she was almost one year old. We had never left her with anyone other than her grandparents so this was a big deal for us to leave her even for an hour and half church service. To know that she was in a safe and loving environment meant that we could grow closer to God and get plugged in to a church. I thank these kind hearts that loved on our daughter and allowed us the chance to know what it was like to have our first church home.

I also think back to the time when I had my son and my daughter was on 2 1/2 years old. I felt so comfortable with the nursery workers that I left my son at only 5 weeks old. The chance to sit in a worship service with my husband and relax meant so much for my sanity during that trying time as a new mom to two. I thank the nursery workers who let this stressed mom enjoy some time to relax.

As a mom with kids in the preschool and grade school area, I feel that I should serve and most people I know who have small kids feel the same way. I say thank you to them, but I especially say thank you to the people who have grown children or high school age children, and still have a heart for children's ministry.

Thank you to the wonderful couple that are grandparents who teach my daughter about Jesus every week in her Sunday school class. Thank you to the mom of high school age kids who still takes the time to love on and teach my three-year-old son's Sunday school class. Thank you to the veteran children's minister who still teaches Sunday school classes and misses church regularly to serve. Her heart for children inspires me every week. Thank you to the high school kids who miss church to be helpers in our classes, someday you will know what a blessing you've been when you have kids of your own.

I pray that someday when my kids are grown, I will remember what a gift it was to sit in church those days when I was in-over-my-head with a newborn and two-year-old and I will return the gift to other moms.

Thank you again to all who have a heart for children and serve. Your service does not go unnoticed.