We were late to church this morning. The Most Adorable Granddaughter in the World had stayed the night because her parents had a work 'do' on but they'd forgotten to leave her car seat so they had to pick her up from our home this morning rather than meeting us at church. They were late which made us late.
Being late we had to choose a pew where we had to slip past several people. We sat down, our knees touching the pew in front, and opened our newsletter. Oh no! DH and I were on morning tea which meant we should have been there early to set up.
When everyone stood for the next song, we again slipped past all the people in our row and went downstairs to set up. If people had failed to realise we were late coming in they couldn't help but notice that we were leaving just as the service was getting started. We felt so conspicuous!
I don't know why it is but I hate being on morning tea. I have a roster but never look at it - probably in denial! It's not that I don't want to serve others but I'm scared of doing it wrong. What if I put out too many drinks for the children or not enough? What if the tea is too strong or too weak? What if people think I've been stingy with the amount of biscuits I put out or, worse still, wasteful?
But as I was setting up I realised that it's not about me. It's about serving others. My attitude changed. If I did it to bless others then I couldn't do it 'wrong'.
We finished setting up downstairs then stole quietly upstairs and slipped into a vacant pew (not the same one as before because we didn't want to cause a commotion as we pushed past a whole row of people again). We were hoping to be as unobtrusive as possible but no sooner had we sat down and The Most Adorable Granddaughter sung out "Nana! Nana!" as if it had been a week since she'd last seen us and not just an hour. So much for going unnoticed!
Downstairs after the service I was forced to talk to people, even if it was just as simple as "Do you take milk? Is the tea too strong? How are you?" I'd been thinking of asking to be taken off the morning tea roster but now I'm reconsidering. I'm shy. I can't make small talk. I don't join in conversations. I never know what to say. But today I had to talk to people and I'm glad I did. And if this is the only time I talk to people - well, it's a start.
Being late we had to choose a pew where we had to slip past several people. We sat down, our knees touching the pew in front, and opened our newsletter. Oh no! DH and I were on morning tea which meant we should have been there early to set up.
When everyone stood for the next song, we again slipped past all the people in our row and went downstairs to set up. If people had failed to realise we were late coming in they couldn't help but notice that we were leaving just as the service was getting started. We felt so conspicuous!
I don't know why it is but I hate being on morning tea. I have a roster but never look at it - probably in denial! It's not that I don't want to serve others but I'm scared of doing it wrong. What if I put out too many drinks for the children or not enough? What if the tea is too strong or too weak? What if people think I've been stingy with the amount of biscuits I put out or, worse still, wasteful?
But as I was setting up I realised that it's not about me. It's about serving others. My attitude changed. If I did it to bless others then I couldn't do it 'wrong'.
We finished setting up downstairs then stole quietly upstairs and slipped into a vacant pew (not the same one as before because we didn't want to cause a commotion as we pushed past a whole row of people again). We were hoping to be as unobtrusive as possible but no sooner had we sat down and The Most Adorable Granddaughter sung out "Nana! Nana!" as if it had been a week since she'd last seen us and not just an hour. So much for going unnoticed!
Downstairs after the service I was forced to talk to people, even if it was just as simple as "Do you take milk? Is the tea too strong? How are you?" I'd been thinking of asking to be taken off the morning tea roster but now I'm reconsidering. I'm shy. I can't make small talk. I don't join in conversations. I never know what to say. But today I had to talk to people and I'm glad I did. And if this is the only time I talk to people - well, it's a start.
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