Our Sanctuary

As the parent of a toddler (and before that, the parent of a baby), I'm certain I'm not the first to admit that getting through the preparation, transportation and experience of church is full of trials and tribulations. (I mean--napping schedules, poo schedules, verbal outbursts during prayers and reverent silences, nursery protestations, crayons dropping and rolling 10 pews up, snatch attempts at empty communion cups at the altar...need I say more???)

But I'm also certain I'm not the first parent of a toddler (or a baby--or a child of any age, for that matter) who feels strongly about powering through those trials and tribulations for the spiritual well-being of our entire family.

What this means for us, personally: most of the Sunday morning service is spent outside the sanctuary rather than within, Mama and Daddy usually leave a little worn out and beaten down from the wrangling (when we're actually all three seated in the pew), and rarely is a sermon heard in its entirety (or much at all, if I'm being honest).

But (and this is a major but), our child is participating in the ritual of putting on her finest to honor our Lord and Savior and learning to love the music and spoken words and fellowship that are nourishment for her soul.

And that's worth all the hassle in the world.

So here's to making our sanctuary anywhere within the walls of the church (for the time being), and powering through with God's grace as our new bundle arrives and complicates things further--in the best way possible.

Happy and Blessed Sunday, peeps :)