There they are... got my first big hit of hormonal pregnancy tears this morning as I thought about baptizing our daughter & where we'd like to baptize her. It just kind of hit me all at once with more clarity than I could have ever expected.
Let me back up a hot second; we attended a Lutheran Easter service this Sunday while visiting family and I was so totally turned off by this pastor's sermon and approach that it made me really reflect on what my beliefs are and when I feel most connected to a sense of faith. Porch and I spoke in great detail about our hopes for our daughter and none of them included the messages being delivered at that Easter service -- the implicit messages, obviously. There's not a terrible amount of difference between the Lutheran service and the Catholic service, but there was just a vibe that turned us both off.
As I drove to work this morning, it came over me as I was thinking about where we could baptize our daughter. We don't plan to be in Chicago forever. We have no idea what's coming next for us. But there's one thing that is a constant in our lives. We will always go north. My childhood is filled with the most amazing memories of being at the cabin with my family and our grandparents. Fun in the sun, marshmallows on the campfire, and church Sunday morning. As much as we've all grown and changed over time, that church is still where we gather with my grandparents when we're up north.
I emailed the church to see if they would be open to such an idea. I can honestly think of nothing more appropriate, more fitting, or more meaningful than introducing our peanut to faith in the north woods. The north woods are a place of reflection; a place where I feel most connected to nature and God (or at the very least, the realization that there's a force bigger than us out there). We have never made a trip up north and left unsatisfied. We leave feeling balanced and calm.
I am anxiously awaiting the reply from the church. Honestly, I'm kind of considering baptizing her in Bass Lake myself if they won't do it. ;)
xoxo
Let me back up a hot second; we attended a Lutheran Easter service this Sunday while visiting family and I was so totally turned off by this pastor's sermon and approach that it made me really reflect on what my beliefs are and when I feel most connected to a sense of faith. Porch and I spoke in great detail about our hopes for our daughter and none of them included the messages being delivered at that Easter service -- the implicit messages, obviously. There's not a terrible amount of difference between the Lutheran service and the Catholic service, but there was just a vibe that turned us both off.
As I drove to work this morning, it came over me as I was thinking about where we could baptize our daughter. We don't plan to be in Chicago forever. We have no idea what's coming next for us. But there's one thing that is a constant in our lives. We will always go north. My childhood is filled with the most amazing memories of being at the cabin with my family and our grandparents. Fun in the sun, marshmallows on the campfire, and church Sunday morning. As much as we've all grown and changed over time, that church is still where we gather with my grandparents when we're up north.
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| I found this online the other day & think it perfectly describes the feelings and emotion of being up north. |
I am anxiously awaiting the reply from the church. Honestly, I'm kind of considering baptizing her in Bass Lake myself if they won't do it. ;)
xoxo
I really love this saying. I have another Up North saying similar to this that hangs on my wall with our pics from our trips to Lac duFlambeau! I got it in Minocqua! :)
ReplyDeleteHere it is...
ReplyDelete"Up North"
There's a lot of talk about "Up North"...it's the place where everyone seems to want to go to escape the pressures and frantic pace of everyday life. But where is "Up North"? Ask a dozen people and you may get as many answers.
"Up North" is not so much a location as it is a state of mind. So how do you know when you've arrived "Up North"? When you feel the cares of the world begin to slip away...when you find yourself breathing a little deeper because the air seems purer somehow...when you notice the sky is bluer, the water is clearer, the trees taller, and the people smile a lot...then you know you're "Up North"!
- Arlet Steel, Crandon, WI
I love this one too!! I love "up north," it's truly my happy place :)
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