Conversations with Erin Mcdermott

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Mcdermott. 

Hi Erin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My story begins as most of ours do these days, with a home that has some measure of brokenness and dysfunction. My mom and dad divorced when my brother and I were babies, due to my dad’s infidelity, no relationship with my birth father, my mom raised me a single mom on low income, always just barely surviving. I spent my childhood watching my mom drink her sorrows away, even though she loved me dearly, she did not know how to take care of herself, let alone me. She tried her heart out though. She wasn’t a bad mom, just fought her own battles with demons. My dad raised my brother on the other side of the country, and would call and check on me every so often, so all the deposits that should be made to develop a young woman into who she needs to be were void and so there I found myself, void and empty, never quite felt ok, or comfortable, had a ton of insecurities and fears of people, so as you can imagine we make up for those things in all kinds of unhealthy ways. So began my life with addiction. I found my mom’s prescription pills and by age 16 I had a full-blown opiate addiction. This continued for the next 20 years. I would have 3 children, and all this time, I was perpetuating what had happened to me, to my babies unknowingly. I just thought this was life and one day hoped for something better. Shortly after having my 3rd child, my youngest son, in 2013 my mom overdosed on her pills died tragically. This is important because it played a huge part in my decision to finally do something different. 

At this time, I was in a relationship with my youngest’s dad, Tim. We used a lot and I continued to drown myself in meth and opiates daily for the next 3 years. Many arrests, raides and sleepless nights, plenty of Domestic Violence and every other imaginable trauma you can think of came along with the life we were living. All my children were separated from me, my life was a mess. 

On May 2nd, 2016, God had other plans for my life. My fiancé, Tim, and I got high on fentanyl for what would be his last time. We both Overdosed and by the grace of God I woke up 7 hours later, but unfortunately, Tim didn’t wake up. It killed him. 

This was the most horrific nightmare I’d found myself in. I thought everything else was bad, now my life was suffocating me. 

I was so lost, and so broken over this. Tim was the love of my life and my son’s father. 

At this time our son, Tim Jr was living with my father and also didn’t have much of a relationship with me or his dad due to our addiction. 

It would be August 8th, 2016, 3 months after Tim’s OD That God finally plucked me out of the situation and set my butt in the county jail. I knew I was looking at a good amount of time, and the magnitude of the fact that opiates had killed my mom and now Tim hit me on every level, and I knew I was in for the fight of my life. I ran to God. 

I didn’t know it then, but I know it now, God saved me that night. And thereafter too because I risked my life multiple times after that. But Only God knew what He was about to do. 

I spent the next 16 months pursuing a relationship with the living God, and He called me and drew me by His Spirit. He began to deliver me and set me free from 

Addictions and mindsets right there in that prison cell. 

Once released, I began to learn how to trust God for provision, how to look to God for guidance, and hear his voice. He was Fathering me and teaching me how to be a child of God. He provided in every way. 

He taught me how to hold my jobs, but even more than that, how to work as unto Him, how to give excellence, how to honor and be honest, He taught me how to love and take care of myself, how to build friendships. He healed my heart of the grief and sorrow I felt, he restored my children back to me, He gave me housing, and over time, has grown me and shaped me to be who He says I am. 

Today I have repaired my relationships with my children, I understand what it means to be forgiven, and loved by God, and can I tell you, that alone covers most of the brokenness we pick up in life. 

It’s been 6 years now since the Lord rescued me and set me free and my favorite thing about the father is how he teaches me. Whatever it is, I need to know to live a life of godliness and hope and joy, the Holy Spirit has taught me step by step. Whether it’s how to restore trust with my kids, how to work with integrity, how to love others, how to abide in Christ, how to have victory in every area of my life, the Spirit of God is faithful to deal with me on all of it. 

My life today exceeds what I ever hoped for. I have a career that I never went to school for, I have my children in my life and our relationships are beautiful, I have learned how to Stewart my finances, I have a beautiful community of sisters I do life with. I have committed myself to the Lord, and today the Lord trades my pain for beauty, He calls me more than a conqueror, and he leads me in all Truth. This satisfies my soul. And all of my past was worth it, He uses it all for the good, just like he promises. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Learning to depend on God is like learning to walk when you’re a baby. And then learning how to grow up both mentally and spiritually has its challenges but it’s always worth the sacrifice and obedience, learning to obey the Lord because He has the best plans for our life. It’s been rough at times staying steadfast when it comes to my kids and the work that’s had to be done to gain their trust. I had to change a lot within myself, usually when I saw something I didn’t like in them, such as their anger with me, or their mistrust. It was me that had to change how I dealt with that because I couldn’t change them or even ask them to change because it was me that needed to love them right where they were at but this didn’t come naturally for me, so I’m so grateful that’s what the Holy Spirit specializes in, transforming us so I just call upon the Lord when I see something in myself that needs to come down, and He really does deliver me. We pick up so many negative mindsets and beliefs throughout life and most if not all of them are incorrect. Depending on what you’re weighing it against. But once I began to read the Word of God, I realized I had been believing many lies. So, learning to renew my mind to Truth is not always easy because we’re stubborn people, but praise God He knows that, and He is merciful, and He continues to pursue me. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Today I am Site Supervisor at a Family Shelter in my hometown. The same homeless shelter I went through at one point in my life. The Lord actually called me to work here about 2 years ago and told me He was “sending me back to set the captives free”. Because I have been through many of the trials and tribulations the residents are going through, I get to meet them in that place and speak into them with a tangible compassion that I hope will reach them 

And give them a hope they can anchor onto. I also know I am called there to have a voice for the people. To speak up for those who are in these situations and raise the standard of services. It makes all the difference in the world when you have care providers who have lived experience and can know what is needed in any given traumatic moment. I have a lot of vision for the future. I’ve also been elected to sit on the board of committee for our County Housing Authority to be a voice for the people facing homelessness in our community. I get opportunities all the time to share my story of hope, and my main goal is to share the love and hope of Jesus Christ. Because truly with Him all things are possible. 

Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’d encourage if you’re a woman, find a woman, that stands out to you. Someone you admire and has gone before you, someone who speaks your same language but will also challenge you to come up higher, someone who will absolutely hold you accountable at all costs, in LOVE of course, find someone who loves God, knows God and desires wisdom And Truth daily! Someone who lives a life of honor and integrity, a life of someone who shares similar interests, but also has differences. I look for a woman who fears the Lord because I know the Lord will speak through her to me. This is a good thing! 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]