Mom My Model
When Pastor Josh emailed me and asked me to write a blog entry, I was a little apprehensive because I haven’t written an article or paper since college. I enjoy reading the Imago Voices Blog each week and look forward to learning about all the different members of our congregation. I just hadn’t pictured writing a blog entry myself. The sermon series is titled “Faces of our Faith” and I was tasked with writing about someone who made an impression on my faith or modeled something that I have held onto in my faith formation.
Growing up, I lived in two different households. Having parents that divorced when I was a young child meant that I grew up with two varying views on faith, religion, and what it meant to be a Christian. Even though both of my families attended Christian churches, their churches differed greatly from one another. My mom’s church was contemporary Methodist and my dad’s church was conservative Baptist. Each Sunday was distinctly different from the Sunday before, and at times it was hard to balance what type of Christian I needed to be to fit in with those around me.
As a young girl, I always gravitated towards my mom. I always felt that I could be myself when I was with her, and I also didn’t have to put on an act or false persona when I attended church with her. I looked forward to church with my mom because the sermons were relatable, the music was lively and modern, and the people were warmer and friendlier. The atmosphere at this church was much different than one I attended on the opposite Sundays. I wish I had been able to attend the same church on each Sunday, but I had no choice but to flip-flop back and forth, attending two very different churches with very different ideologies, traditions, and beliefs. I felt like my faith was pieced together like puzzle pieces, and I never knew if I was doing enough or behaving enough like a Christian.
Eventually, with the modeling and support from my mom, my faith began to develop. As difficult as it was to balance growing up with different families and different churches, my mom instilled in me the importance and value of volunteering, giving back to those in need, and using our time and talents to assist others in the community. One of my first experiences in volunteering was collecting travel size soaps and toiletries for the Center for Prevention of Abuse. My mom arranged collection baskets at church and at work to collect unused toiletry items. When traveling, we would encourage people to save their unused travel-size items and drop them off in one of the baskets. When the baskets were full, we would deliver all the items to the Center for Prevention of Abuse. The act seemed small, but I always enjoyed monitoring how full the baskets were getting and then dropping off the items when they were full. The soaps and shampoos that could have gone to waste were now able to be used by someone in need. Throughout the years, we also spent time volunteering for the Center for Prevention of Abuse Annual Duck Race, bell ringing during Christmastime for the Salvation Army, donating toys for the Toys for Tots program, buying gifts for the Angel Tree, and delivering meals during Thanksgiving. The value of volunteering was important to my mom, and if there was an opportunity to volunteer or give back, she made sure we were there. As a child, I wasn’t always excited to spend an evening ringing bells in the cold or having to wake up early on Thanksgiving morning to deliver meals, but I am grateful my mom provided the opportunity to volunteer while teaching me the importance of giving back to the community.
When I started attending Imago Dei, I began to realize that everything my mom had modeled for me had meaning and purpose. Then, once I had learned the meaning of Imago Dei (to be made in God’s image), I felt reassured that I was doing and had been doing my best as a Christian to reflect the image of God. My faith no longer felt like it was unevenly pieced together, but my faith felt stronger knowing that every opportunity I spent volunteering alongside my mom was her method of showing me the teachings of Jesus. When I was growing up we didn’t have lengthy discussions over bible verses or conversations about the meaning of the sermon from that week, but instead, my mom modeled for me Christian values through action and outreach. Now as an adult, I realize the privilege it is to be able to have the resources and time to volunteer, and I am blessed to be able to continue to volunteer in different ways in the community and to have found a church where community is so valued and important.
Erin is an Enneagram 9 (The Peacemaker) and attempts to bring peace and harmony into her days as a Kindergarten teacher. She lives in Peoria with her fiancé, Austin, and their dog, Lambeau. Erin loves to go on camping trips, create things with her Cricut, and spend quality time with her friends & family.