I didn’t go to church growing up. Well that’s not exactly true. I did go from time to time when my Brownie troupe went, or when I stayed over at a friend’s house on a Saturday evening. But I never went with my family. I did not grow up knowing Sunday school, or church picnics or any of the other community events that come with being a member of a church. However, somewhere along the way I did end up with a relationship with God nonetheless.

My parents both attended church as children. My father even attended a religion-based school, but both stopped going sometime around their teenage years. After they married and later had children they decided, that they would not baptize my sibling and me, but they would wait until we developed an interest/curiosity and then support us in exploring our own faith choices from there. Religion was not looked upon negatively but it was also not focused upon. It is also worth noting that Mr. Tea Cup was brought up attending church weekly and stopped going in early adulthood.

Although I understand why my parents made the choice they did, I sometimes wonder what it would have been like growing up in the church community.  I do feel as though I have always had a connection to faith, but I did not have the “paperwork” so to speak. I was not baptized. I did not make my first communion. I did not have the “home base” that a church can provide.

Somewhere around the second trimester of my pregnancy, I started to think more deeply about my faith and really realized that I felt like there was something missing. I am not sure if it was the absolute miracle of carrying a baby or something else, but I felt like I needed to strength my connection to God and I wanted to do it sooner rather then later.

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It took me several months of reflection but after Little Tea Cup was born, I decided that I wanted her to brought up knowing God and being a part of the church community. My husband and I talked and he supported my decision to make this a part of all of our lives. On the first Sunday of Advent, right around my little girl’s 5 month mark, we went to church for the first time.

It is not easy to go to church with a little one, especially to a church without a nursery, but I immediately felt right at home. There was no pressure and no questions when I arrived about my history with faith or what my plans were for my daughter. It was simply “hello” and “welcome, we are so glad you are here.” They smiled when Little Tea Cup babbled or when she had her bottle during the sermon each week. One of my favorite moments actually is the Minister playing peek-a-boo with her at the beginning of the service, and being late to get to the altar because of it! It was because of all of these things and so many more that I knew we had made the right choice. A few months later, on Easter Sunday, my daughter and I were baptized together in front of the congregation.

During the ceremony

I had decided  to have just Little Tea Cup baptized in the beginning but upon discussing my choice with my Minister, I realized that if I truly wanted my daughter to grow up with a relationship with God that I would be the best example for her. I have a feeling this is the beginning of  a constant lifelong realization that motherhood is about being the person that you want your little one to become. I am very glad that in the end we did this together and started this journey with one another, just like we did when she was born. The bond of a mother and a child is so very strong and so is that of God to His people. I believe that when we were baptized our bond strengthened even further as Mother and Daughter as He supports us.

She was one happy little lady with all the attention she received

I sometimes wonder what will happen in the future with Little Tea Cup and her faith. I take her to the service each Sunday and at this point, she spends more time playing with my bracelets or a toy, but she is part of that community that I was lacking growing up. If in the future she chooses to leave the church I will support her in her exploration of other faiths or her decision to leave it behind, but I truly hope she does not.

I had to share Little Tea Cup’s formal baptism shot!

What choice did you make in terms of religion for your little one? Is it the same or similar to the choice your family made for you?