Faith Journeys / Roberta

My own personal faith journey has taken me all over the place, but I truly believe that every step of that journey has been to lead me to the place I am in, the place God has always planned for me to be. My response to that is to give freely and joyously - of my time, my talent and my treasures.

I was baptized at Hope Lutheran Church, an ELCIC congregation in Calgary. Until I was about 7 I regularly attended church with my mom and my siblings. My dad, not being raised in a church, didn't join us. We would spend the first 15 minutes in the sanctuary then head off to Sunday school. Mom sang in the choir and we actively participated in the fellowship activities of the church. My mom and dad then separated. After moving to a rental property in another area, and having no car, I didn't really get back to the church, other than for Christmas and Easter, until grade 7. Though not actively at church, I was exposed to the Word. To help my mom out, my grannie moved in with us. She was a devout Christian who read her Bible daily. She would relish the days when the Jehovah Witnesses knocked on the door. Inviting them in for coffee, she would share what she believed - that by faith she would be saved, not by works. I think they liked her, a lot, since they kept coming back. And I know it wasn’t because they were converting her! She was a wonderful example to me in her witness. Then, in grade seven there was the rush to make sure I was registered for confirmation class. For year and a half of the three year program I trudged off to class every Tuesday. I remember none of it. I know there was a lot of memorization work, but that wasn't my strength so I rarely did it. After that year and a half my mom must have realized the futility of it all and she allowed me to drop out. And that was it! I was a teenager who was blissfully free of the church!

When I was 19 I moved to MacNutt, Saskatchewan, home of Christ Lutheran Church. Thirty three years ago it was very hard to live in a small community and not be involved in the church. Isn’t it funny where God places us? So I started attending services. The first time I opened the hymnal to service setting 3, everything from my early childhood came back in a rush. It was like coming home. Before long I was in helping in the Sunday school and doing VBS. Though I was involved, it was more because it filled a social obligation; it certainly wasn’t because I was there to share any of the gifts that I may have been blessed with.

While in MacNutt I met James and we got engaged. As we were doing our premarital counseling, Pastor Beltz asked us if we were interested in doing an adult confirmation class. James was fine with the idea, so we said yes. We were able to celebrate communion for the first time together. We were married there and it is where Matthew was born and baptized.

We then moved to Mikado. While there we attended Saving Grace Lutheran Church in Canora, an even smaller church than Christ, with an average attendance of about 30 baptized souls. It was there that our Chelsea was baptized. In the beginning I did as I had in MacNutt, I assisted with the very small Sunday school and sang in the choir. And it’s there that it happened. I finally heard what it was that the Holy Spirit had been trying to tell me; that being a Christian meant more than going to church on Sunday morning and paying lip service. It was a way of life. With some guidance from the Pastor I began to spend more time in the Word and in prayer. I also felt that I was being called to service in the church, rather than obliged to do it.

When we moved to Winnipeg, finding a home congregation was our first priority… after finding a place to live, of course! Beautiful Saviour was that home. I attended Bible studies to help quench my desire to know more, taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and helped out with fellowship activities. Matthew and Chelsea were both in Sunday school and Emily was baptized there.

And then we moved to Regina and Mount Olive became our church home. And a place that I have come to love. As I was writing this I thought of this church and of her past parishioners. Those who dreamt of her, built her and established her, for us. It's because of those visionaries that when we came to Regina 22 years ago this place was here. That we were able to come to a church and worship as a family; where our children could go to Sunday school. Where they would go on to be confirmed and commune with us for the first time. I thought of the relationships that have been formed within these walls and the women who have become my mentors. The example they have been to me is reminiscent of my grannie in the way she witnessed to me, and to many others, through her actions.

It’s because of the people that God has placed in my path that I have been encouraged to use my time to do mission work – on the streets of Regina, with the BC Mission Boat and in China. I have been encouraged to use my talents to help share the gospel to the women of LCC through articles, devotions and bible studies. And I’ve been compelled to share my treasure with those that are less fortunate through mite offerings.

Within these walls I’ve sat on many of committees, hopefully contributing to the best of my abilities. I was given the opportunity to attend Lay Enrichment School, which helped to strengthen me personally in my walk and to learn to share that with others. I’ve been privileged to attend church conventions to learn more about how Lutheran Church Canada is structured and its goals. In response to all that I have been blessed with I’ve joyfully (usually!) given my time; in meetings, teaching and serving. I’ve given my talents; through my ideas, my speaking, my writing and even making puffed wheat cake. And I’ve shared my treasure; to support all that happens within this building as well as the outreach that we do.

In my head my reasons may be selfish. Just as Mount Olive was here for us 22 years ago, I want to make sure that she’ll be here 22 years from now for that new family that’s searching for their church home. Just as we do all that we can to make this church thrive – I pray that somewhere else another congregation is doing the same so that when my children and granbabies are looking for a church home there is one for them.

But in my heart I know that all I am doing is for one reason and one reason only. It’s a thank response because of my great love for my Creator and all of His many blessings to me. When I began to let Him slip away as a teenager He could have let me go, but He didn’t.

Thanks be to God!