I have a confession to make. Often times, I dread Sundays.

I know. That’s Children’s Ministry blasphemy, isn’t it. Sunday is game day, the moment that all our work during the week points to. However, sometimes Sundays are just far less than fun and fulfilling. Sometimes I like the idea of Sunday more than the reality of Sunday.

Yes, Sundays are AMAZING! It’s when kids experience Jesus through amazing teaching or a connection with a caring leader. It’s when families find hope in a partnership with their local church. It’s where people who are isolated and alone find community.

However, Sundays can also be a train wreck. It’s when the computer crashes in the middle of preschool large group and 200 little eyes are staring at you wondering why you just destroyed their experience. It’s when you’re frantically filling spots by calling in favors because of the 15 volunteers who called to cancel last night. It’s when an angry parent yells at you because their child’s room is closed for the second week in a row. It’s when a volunteer yells at you because there are too many kids in her room.

Uggh. Those people who say Sunday is the best day of their week. They’re either lying or they’re a better leader than me.

As I sit here at a Starbucks preparing for my day today, I had a simple realization. Something I often forget which significantly affects the outcome of my day. It’s all about perspective.

More often than not, I have a totally utilitarian view of my day. Between the services, rehearsal, meetings, baptism classes and everything else, I’m looking toward the 7:00 PM mark that signifies the end of my day when I’m home with my family. I’m anticipating the issues and roadblocks that I’ll encounter in my day. No wonder Sundays can be so frustrating.

What if I went into my day with a perspective filled with hope. Yes, there will be issues and frustrations all throughout this day. They’re loud and they demand our attention. But there will be some amazing and beautiful moments. You can see it in the eyes of a child who walks into your environment for the first time. You’ll hear it in the squeals of laughter in a small group in the corner of the room. You’ll feel it in the hug of a volunteer if you’ll slow down long enough to connect.

Sunday is full of moments and if our perspective is wrong, we’ll miss them all. It’s these moments that drew us into ministry. It’s these moments that form our best and most treasured memories. They’re happening whether we’re paying attention or not.

My prayer this morning is that I would slow down and look for what God is doing in the ministry I lead. My prayer is that I would take the time to look people in the eyes and greet them with grace and connect on a heart level. My prayer today is that I would experience the joy of love and redemption that God is doing in the hearts of volunteers and kids serving in our environments. My prayer this morning is that today would be the absolute best day of my week. Let’s look for the moments and have an amazing day experiencing God at work!