This is a good place, Milo.

I took Milo to church on Sunday.

I wasn't really ready to go to church, but my maternity leave was over and it was time for me to return to Trinity. I'm working part-time (like 6 hours a week) so you'd think I could manage without complaining.

But the truth is, I've enjoyed not going to church on Sundays. I've enjoyed, instead, going to our local farmers market, getting breakfast from the Biscuit Bus, and taking Milo for walks. Not to mention that my uber favorite time with Milo is in the morning. He wakes up between 6 and 7 so instead of nursing him in his room, I bring him to our bed to nurse. He eats, we doze, he wakes up, we "talk." It's lovely. So having to actually get out of bed and be somewhere proved very difficult.

Throw into the mix that I don't even really know if I like working in a church. You'd think that, after 3 years of seminary, I would be more excited about working in a church but I'm not. I don't always like the church. It can be exhausting to work in a church. Churches are filled with crazy people. (Myself included, I suppose) The Church (with a capital "C") can be oh so aggravating.

Anyway, Milo and I made it to church. I forgot my nursing pads (!), Milo cried all the way there, and we arrived 30 minutes late, but we made it. In my rush to get ready, I hadn't even finished my coffee. I was cranky.

But, luckily, God is a God of grace and surprises.

When I went to check my mailbox, I found that the McFaddins (an older couple in the church who serve as greeters) had made Milo a name tag. Milo is 7 weeks old and he has a name tag. With a teddy bear sticker on it.

And then, during fellowship hour, Pastor Paul--the same pastor who had just preached a sermon--took the time to give Milo a bottle.

And a woman who is homeless came to fellowship hour to eat a bagel and drink some coffee told me what a beautiful baby Milo was. And he smiled at her.

Plus, on Tuesday I took him to staff meeting with me. I was nervous about bringing a baby to staff meeting and worried they would think he was too distracting. But they took turns holding him, feeding him, burping him, and rocking him to sleep. At the end of the meeting, when Rev. Brunner was holding my sleeping baby, he said to me, "Tiffany, I think Milo knows this is a good place."

And I got a little teary-eyed. Because, Milo, even though the Church is a messy place with messy people, sometimes we get some things right. Yes, this is a good place, Milo.