Lessons

We all learn from our parents.  As children, our job is to act out, obey, and ask questions.  A parent’s job is to push us along the path and rear us into shape. I have learned many things from my mom and dad but there are two lessons that have truly stuck with me and I think, helped mold me into who I am today.  

The first lesson is from my mom.  I didn’t grow up into an over religious family. My mom grew up an Episcopalian and my dad, Catholic.  Dad would drag me Mass when I was young, but I think my Sunday morning tantrums finally wore him down and we stopped going.  I have a distinct memory of my mom telling me that God is bigger than I could imagine and that God knows everything I do and think.  As a 7 year old I thought that was amazing – and daunting.  I feel certain she told me this just to rear me in acceptable societal norms when she could not be present.  It worked. But deeper, it was my first lesson in theology: Never put God in a box!  (Consequently, my grandmother was asked by the priest to not bring my mother back to Church as she asked too many questions.  Such a shame as I believe she would have made a great theologian.)  This theological claim has stuck with me over the years; as I grew up, as I made my way back into the church, as my world view was deconstructed in seminary and slowly reconstructed in my 10 years of ministry.  This one claim was the basis for permission to: ask the tough questions,  not believe everything I read, and perhaps most important - when in doubt, ere on the side of LOVE.  

The second lesson, which I learned from my dad, was to do things right the first time.  Whatever I was asked to do from chores to my job; do it complete and do it correctly.  Of course learning this meant several attempts at cleaning my room, washing the dishes, or even cleaning up the dog's poop in the back yard.  I remember being in youth group one Sunday evening and my youth minister, Mike, was asking us questions about a scripture passage.  I don’t recall exactly, but something about what we think God is asking of us in this or that passage.  I confidently spoke out “God doesn’t want us to do a half-asked job!”  This is what my dad always instructed of me “Hollie, don’t do a half-asked job.”   I really did think the saying was half-asked but it was at church youth group that I found out the saying is half-assed, which essentially has the same meaning unless you’re in church.  

Like so many others, I am joining the blogging world. One might think I am a little late, but for the record I first started blogging about 10 years ago – before blogging was cool on a site called Diaryland.  If I recall, I convinced many of my friends to join the Diaryland bandwagon.  I got off at a stop soon after, others stayed on and it turned into blogging.  I’m not saying I made blogging cool – but you connect the dots.  So here is- The Underside; my attempt to open the box we not only find ourselves in, but then, sometimes unintentionally, bring God in too.  It’s about turning over the tables at our half-ass attempts at life – not because we mean too but because we are tired and it’s easier to make excuses.   This will be a journey about rediscovering myself and learning and attempting to once again live fully into the fullness God calls.