Grandma, Take the Phone

Our kids are with my parents, a weekend all alone

Strict orders we have for Mass – no toys, no snacks no phone

We know they can get antsy, start crawling on the pew

Making noise with the boys, annoying one or two

We try to split the middle, not too lenient not too stern

To teach them to be reverent, to listen and to learn

One day they will get there, sitting quietly and still

Patience is the virtue until that becomes God’s will

So off we go to Mass without our kids in tow

Up the aisle, to the front is where we dare to go  

We sit in peace and quiet before the sacrifice

Sure we miss our kids but the quiet sure is nice.

Sitting, standing, kneeling, you know how it goes

When my gaze catches something, just up a couple rows

A girl with her grandma, not moving from her chair

Her head is bowed, she’s motionless, probably deep in prayer

But when I stand I catch a glimpse of what has her attention

A screen with flashing lights, a game, a 7 inch distraction

Flicking, swiping, tapping, playing, reaching her high score

My heart is broken for you Lord, you deserve so much more

It’s good that you bring her here, to her Father in the Church

To fill the Christ sized hole in her, to end her weary search

But what message are you sending by letting her sit without a care

With the King of the Universe before her, to look up she would not dare

So next time as you wait for Mass and the lights are set to dim

You’re laying the foundation for a relationship with Him

Be Strong, be Brave, now is the time for you to set the tone

For nothing else but love of Him please, Grandma, take the phone