Wednesday, September 30

excuses

My kids' noses started running this morning, right on schedule for being exposed on Sunday at church. I was kinda hoping it was morning allergies or something, but they're only getting runnier. And so the boys and I will be staying home tonight from church.

Which got me thinking about this obnoxious, albeit slightly amusing, song (don't even get me started on the style, or the "comedy" afterwards - what?!)



That verse about the whole family staying home "just to blow that poor kid's nose" has probably influenced one or seventeen too many families into thinking that it's not spiritual to stay home when you're sick.

If you are sick, or if one of your children is sick, please - for the sake of others, use that excuse and stay at home. Pray through the church prayer sheet or something - use the time for family worship, pray for missionaries, whatever you want to do. But please don't buy into the idea that just because the doors are open you have to drag your sneezing, coughing, congested family to muddle through the service. You may survive the service, but there's no telling where your germs might travel.

Just because we are all one spiritual body does not mean each physical body has to share your germs. I can't really do anything about anyone else's feelings or actions on the matter. But I can do one thing, and that is this - we will be keeping the germs to ourselves and staying home tonight.

Midland, MI, you are welcome.

13 comments:

Shyla said...

i'd like for you to ask my forgiveness for getting this little ditty stuck in my head for the remainder of the day! :)

also, we will also be keeping our germs home tonight. there goes perfect attendance for cubbies and puggles!!

Shelldell said...

This is a funny song.
I'm sure I've heard all the excuses.
I found it's a commitment regardless how I feel, just to obey the Lord out of love for him.
But if your kids sick stay home as to not get everyone else sick.
God would say that's OK.

Karis said...

This brought back some memories! We used to listen to Uncle Charlie on Children's Bible Hour every Saturday morning (yep, no TV -- just radio but no we weren't homeschoolers... well, at least until a few years later :-). His "kids" would sing this song!

I have to agree with you on the not sharing the germs! That is a foreign concept here in Cameroon!

Jenny said...

Karis, we didn't have TV either! And it was just fine. :-)

Shelley, I understand what you are saying, but with small kids, I would much prefer that people show their love for God by loving others and taking precautions and/or staying home! :-) Or at least being extra careful with communicable illnesses. This is a way to love one another as Christ loves us!

Shyla, we're missing Cubbies too, but Aaron hasn't put that concept together yet. What is puggles?

Jenny said...

Shyla, oops. SORRY!

Reads said...

Let the germ season begin!!! We are home too; although our excuse is Audrey's runny nose and bowel problems. Audrey was having problems this afternoon, and although she tried to convince me that she was feeling well enough to go to church I decided we wouldn't risk sharing the love!

Unknown said...

Hilarious song! Hilarious in the crazy way they present their message I mean. Love the tight harmonies though. :)

As a fellow mom I very much appreciate your stance on germs. I've become more of a germaphobe as the kids have gotten older and I've seen first hand how easily sickness can travel in nursery.

Hope your crew gets better soon!

Carrie said...

I totally agree on this!! Growing up, we were one of those families who were in church "every time the doors were open." I love my parents dearly, but this is one area where I disagree with them a bit . . . we had to be seriously sick before we would stay home from church (stomach bug, bronchitis, etc.). Now that I'm a mommy, I just do not understand that. For one thing, no kid who's feeling icky is going to enjoy going to church anyway, and more importantly, why would we knowingly want to pass sickness on to everyone else's kids?! We go to a much larger church now, and I think consequently there is a lot more stuff to get exposed to. I've come to dread the winter months because it seems like we are sick all the time. :( And our church even has a policy of asking parents not to bring their kids when they are sick! But people still do it! Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now . . . :)

Oh yeah, and we also grew up without TV in our house! My parents still don't have one. And we somehow managed to survive. :D

Mary Ann said...

Amen & amen! And let's not just stay home from church, let's stay home from work when we are sick. In the ten years since I have graduated college I can't tell you how many times I have had to work alongside people who have the stomach flu, strep throat, the flu, you name it. Ick! And I have become a massive germophobe due to all the sickness I have endured this year (which has been a record bad year for illness all around with flus/colds/allergies/strep throat continuing all summer long without any downtime). Break out the kefir! the antibacterial wipes & lotions! the vitamins & the chicken soup!
*ahem...I am getting a little carried away, but yes! I totally agree with you!

ruth said...

I'm with Shyla here, Jenny... no thank you for getting that song stuck in my head! ;)

I agree with you, though I probably don't feel as strongly about it since I don't have my own kiddos to worry about their getting sick. :P

Rachel said...

I agree! We were home last night as Michael was showing signs of coming down with a cold.

Laura Railing said...

Puggles!!!! I'm the Puggles director at our church. AWANA created the program, fairly recently. I think last year was the first they offered it. It's basically for children who are too old for nursery but too young for Cubbies. A puggle is a baby platypus. All 4 of the characters are Australian. They go over basic truths and have big teaching cards with pictures and simple teaching truths like God made everything- light, stars, trees, etc. Or how God is love- he loves our family, us, etc. The kids have a take home card and folder that is the same picture as the one on the teaching card. They don't have vests or patches they earn but an adorable shirt they get to wear. They don't have game time but I do lots of action songs with them. My son is in it this year. He'll be 2 in December so he's a little young to sit still the entire time on his own accord, but we're working on it! It's a really great program, and I love the truths that are taught. If you go to AWANA's website, you can see some of the adorable products too.

Kara said...

Oh my goodness I haven't heard that song in YEARS!