Early experience with organized religion was Catholic and felt like fear, shame and guilt. It wasn’t until I was much older in my late 20’s that I found the sense of a Higher Power that was taking care of me through Alanon. I too like your Mom, Sez, searched for a church where I can belong, going to all different denominations and then non denominational but never was able to find “that place”. Now I know “that place” can only be found within me. Source, Spirit, Jesus, Blessed Mother Mary, Saints & Sages, Nature, animals, birds all speak to me when I am present enough to listen. 🙏💓
A resonant story, Anne. Fear-driven faith felt far too familiar in its trauma but I’m glad that search turned inward for you as it has done for so many of us here…perhaps that was the point. Thanks for sharing a piece of your story today ♥️
I would love that too. I have no doubt we will come together in some way in the future, and I will be made profoundly whole because of it. Adding flesh and faces to names has a way of tethering those last disconnected threads. Thank you for all the ways you are here, Natalie ❤️
I became a "born again" Christian at 17... mostly to get out of the house. ... and because my friend at the time and her family were. With the exception that my Catholic Italian matenal grandmother went to church every day, it was all new to me since I hadn’t necessisarily noticed much inner work coming from her. It seemed to me more a coping from an unhappy life.
What drew me, was the kindness. There were genuine people there who had enough love in them to offer this biracial wayward soul, girl-becoming-woman a place to stay from time to time, and rest. I'd finally had a chance to begin asking deeper questions. Some sad, very un- Christian things happened there. I left and stopped trying to fit into any specific faith...
What I came away with was the beginning of the idea of a new way to love. 🙏🏽✨️
I truly love your last line, the beginning of the idea of a new way to love. This to me articulates exactly what we move towards in the end, a new way to love. Thank you for sharing a piece of your story ❤️
I am born Lutheran-Protestant and even though my family or parent’s hadn’t been overly religious during my childhood no evening had been complete with the „obligatory“ evening prayer. First it had been these, alternating:
Ich bin
Ich bin klein,
mein Herz ist rein,
soll niemand drin wohnen
als du mein liebes Jesulein.
Müde bin ich, geh zur Ruh
Müde bin ich, geh zur Ruh,
schließe meine Augen zu.
Vater lass die Augen Dein,
über meinem Bettchen sein
Translation:
I am
I am small,
my heart is pure,
no one shall dwell in it
than you my dear little Jesus.
I am tired, go to rest
I am tired, go to rest,
close my eyes.
Father let the eyes be thine,
Be over my little bed
Later on it had been the evangelist The Lord's Prayer. Otherwise my mother and I went to church on Christmas Eve, sometimes on Easter Sunday, for baptisms, weddings or my confirmation and yes, of course each and every funeral was also accompanied by a funeral service, and there had been many for me, as most of my nearest und dearest died prematurely through a terminal illness or accidents.
Early experience with organized religion was Catholic and felt like fear, shame and guilt. It wasn’t until I was much older in my late 20’s that I found the sense of a Higher Power that was taking care of me through Alanon. I too like your Mom, Sez, searched for a church where I can belong, going to all different denominations and then non denominational but never was able to find “that place”. Now I know “that place” can only be found within me. Source, Spirit, Jesus, Blessed Mother Mary, Saints & Sages, Nature, animals, birds all speak to me when I am present enough to listen. 🙏💓
A resonant story, Anne. Fear-driven faith felt far too familiar in its trauma but I’m glad that search turned inward for you as it has done for so many of us here…perhaps that was the point. Thanks for sharing a piece of your story today ♥️
Sez, so many threads of your story connect with my own—can’t tell you how glad I am you are opening up this can of worms!
And those truly funny anecdotes—I’m laughing and tearing up at the same time. Thank you—if only we could have a real round table in this. ❤️❤️
I would love that too. I have no doubt we will come together in some way in the future, and I will be made profoundly whole because of it. Adding flesh and faces to names has a way of tethering those last disconnected threads. Thank you for all the ways you are here, Natalie ❤️
Thanks for sharing, Sez! 🌺❤️
I can relate!
I was brought us in an orthodox religion where I didn’t fit in.
I want to hear more of your story, by the way…you know a lot about not belonging —
I became a "born again" Christian at 17... mostly to get out of the house. ... and because my friend at the time and her family were. With the exception that my Catholic Italian matenal grandmother went to church every day, it was all new to me since I hadn’t necessisarily noticed much inner work coming from her. It seemed to me more a coping from an unhappy life.
What drew me, was the kindness. There were genuine people there who had enough love in them to offer this biracial wayward soul, girl-becoming-woman a place to stay from time to time, and rest. I'd finally had a chance to begin asking deeper questions. Some sad, very un- Christian things happened there. I left and stopped trying to fit into any specific faith...
What I came away with was the beginning of the idea of a new way to love. 🙏🏽✨️
I truly love your last line, the beginning of the idea of a new way to love. This to me articulates exactly what we move towards in the end, a new way to love. Thank you for sharing a piece of your story ❤️
I am born Lutheran-Protestant and even though my family or parent’s hadn’t been overly religious during my childhood no evening had been complete with the „obligatory“ evening prayer. First it had been these, alternating:
Ich bin
Ich bin klein,
mein Herz ist rein,
soll niemand drin wohnen
als du mein liebes Jesulein.
Müde bin ich, geh zur Ruh
Müde bin ich, geh zur Ruh,
schließe meine Augen zu.
Vater lass die Augen Dein,
über meinem Bettchen sein
Translation:
I am
I am small,
my heart is pure,
no one shall dwell in it
than you my dear little Jesus.
I am tired, go to rest
I am tired, go to rest,
close my eyes.
Father let the eyes be thine,
Be over my little bed
Later on it had been the evangelist The Lord's Prayer. Otherwise my mother and I went to church on Christmas Eve, sometimes on Easter Sunday, for baptisms, weddings or my confirmation and yes, of course each and every funeral was also accompanied by a funeral service, and there had been many for me, as most of my nearest und dearest died prematurely through a terminal illness or accidents.