Why Bother?

This is the question I found myself repeatedly asking myself as we worked (and yes with the Shum tribe it's work) our way through church this morning. We were racing out the door 5 minutes after 9 for our 9 o'clock services. A disturbing trend we've started since I've had Kalei which makes no sense cause I woke her up 5 minutes before we left, slipped a dress on her an whamo she was ready. So why is it that her mere presence makes us suffer from chronic tardiness. Anyway as I was saying we were racing out the door Brayden donning pirate gear over his church clothes and Tavita still barefoot Janessa notices an unpleasant odor and finds Tavita's hindside to be the culprit. Look in the diaper bag find millions of Kalei's diapers but of course none for Tavita. I run in the house, grab a diaper and say we'll change him at church after the sacrament. We continue our trek, Janessa kindly carries the wreaking child while Junior pushes the pirate and Kalei in the stroller. We get to chruch 10 minutes late while the sacrament hymn is being sung. We try to depirate Brayden as we walk in the chapel but he managed to walk in with an overlooked eyepatch crossbones and all.
We sit down to sing the last few verses and I finally manage to strap Tavita's shoes on. Brayden pulls out his bag of cowboy and indians (not the most church friendly toys to begin with but they aren't allowed any toys until after the sacrament has been administered) I whispered to him he had to hold them queitly in his lap until after sacrament was over. He gives me a look like, "no way am I listening today" and tries to sneak an indian out of the bag. I whispered a little more firmly to put it away, he still ignored. I then told him, the toys get set to the side that instant or they were going in the trash can. (yes I'm a mom of threats and I don't care what you think!) He still ignored so I grabbed the toys from his hand. No sooner did I grab from the bag that a scream started comnig from his mouth. Note, the whole room is quiet as the bread is being passed around. I instantly covered his mouth and guided him toward Junior who was at the end of the pew. This made him cry harder and as Junior carried him out he cried (loudly) the whole way, "No Daddy, not the trash can! Please not the trash can." Everyone looked back with a confused look on their face. I just smiled like, "what, you don't throw your kids in the trash when they act up? you should try it!"
No sooner did they leave that Janessa realized not only was Tavita's diaper extremly smelly (which I'm sure only confirmed people's suspicions of our tendency to dump our kids in the trash) but also very full. In fact so full it had gotten all over both her and Tavita when she carried him. So off they went.
Finally a bit of quiet, or so I thought. Soon I hear Kalei whimper. This girl gives no warning when she's getting hungry. It's dead asleep straight to wails. I pick her up, soothe her long enough for the sacrament to end and as soon as the deacons sit down out we go.
So, we had been at church a total of 10-15 minutes and not a single one of us were in the pew anymore. I just sat in the mothers room and thought, "Why, why bother." and I'm sure the rest of the congregation had similar thoughts. The boys did redeem themselves some. Brayden and Junior returned soon after the sacrament finished, fit over and renewed commitment to act the way he's supposed to (which he normally is very good at doing). Janessa and Tavita returned poop free ready to take on the rest of church. I just sat in the mother's room and listened to the speaker I just started laughing. Why, becuase of all things her topic was on teaching reverence to our children. I'm sure she wanted to hold up a giant sign that said "Shum's take notes"
As I was returning to the chapel I glanced in the primary room and noticed the chairs never got set up prior to church starting as they were supposed to. So I spent the remainder of sacrament meeting setting up chairs and remembering the good old days where I left church and actually felt spiritually uplifted rather then physically drained.
But as the primary kids filed in for primary and I got to listen to their little testimonies and as we walked home from church listening to what my boys learned in their classes I realized that I do benifit from church. True I don't leave with some new deep concept learned. But I have constant little reminders of how beautiful the basics of the gospel are.
Brayden came home and sat at the table for a very long time until he finally gave in and wrote (actually traced) "I will not scream in church, I will listen to Mommy and Daddy, I will be reverent in church." Then we talked about how he was going to act next week. Tavita came home and used to toilet several times so hopefully his stinky days are coming to an end. Kalei has slept almost the whole time since coming home. I sat back and thought, "yeah someday, these kids will be sitting like angels in church and everyone will wonder how I do it." And I'll sit there in my 80 year old body, gaze lovingly at my middle aged children sitting quietly just as we practiced for the past 50 years and finally I will have a quiet sacrament meeting.