So long old friend...

Well, I guess it's final then...

Our daughter will not be baptized in the same church building in which I was confirmed. Ian and I were married at that altar seven summers ago. There are so many happy memories I have of that building...

I was a bit sad when we pulled into the parking lot two weeks ago to see that the windows were out. It is like saying goodbye to an old friend. How many times did my friends and I catch heck for sliding down the sloped hardwood floors under the pews? How many times did we mindlessly count the ceiling tiles in our childhood when the preacher's words just went over our heads. How many times did we attend weddings of close friends or funerals of beloved church members? How many times did we almost catch our hair on fire holding up candles while singing Silent Night on Christmas Eve.

But those times have passed for the current sanctuary at Bethel... Even as I type construction workers are there dismantling the building.

Funny how we church members are stuck in a time of limbo right now. The old sanctuary is in process of coming down, but is stuck due to the discovery of asbestos. It is sad to drive to church and see our sanctuary in a state of disrepair. Yet after it is torn down and the debris cleared away, construction on the new sanctuary will lift our spirits.

Ian and I too are stuck in a strange limbo. We've been so happy as a couple and have had some wonderful opportunities to travel and live overseas. But right now we are in the final stages of waiting for our referral. Each day we anxiously check the CCAA's site to see if there are any updates. Our minds constantly drift to wondering, "Will this be the month we learn about our precious daughter?" We look forward to the end of this frustrating time and the beginning of something new... PARENTHOOD!

So all in all, it is okay that she won't be baptized or married in that same building. She (our new bundle of joy) will be raised in the new sanctuary (our new legacy for future generations). Come on new things!