God’s timing in perfect, and it is a beautiful journey to experience.
Up until June, I had been having a terrible year of mistakes and heartaches. I had left my old church and didn’t search for a place that would challenge and encourage my faith and integrity. Instead, I spent my time trying to find my worth and happiness in guys. By the end of the spring semester last school year, I was ready to get out of the horrible lifestyle I had created. I felt broken, lost, depressed, and empty. I was desperate to get back to living for God.
It wasn’t long before God answered my cries for help. I met a girl from Awakening in a class of mine at West Valley. Hearing her talk about how much she loved WestGate and Awakening, I decided to take her advice and check them out. I had no idea the path that God was sending me on by this one little decision. I loved it and was really encouraged to get connected and involved. I began to see how much God loved me and wanted me to live a pure life to save me from the pain of my selfish desires.
At that point, there was a snowball effect of divine appointment. Every study I got into was absolutely pertinent to my life. Small groups taught me the importance of purity. Proverbs taught me the importance of seeking wisdom, which grew into a passionate desire to meditate daily on God’s word. A study on Nehemiah and some encouragement from a small group leader taught me to seek God’s desires for my life and to dream big in them because God is big. It also taught me the responsibility of leadership, which challenged my faith and integrity. I realized more and more how much God loved me because He was slowly opening my eyes to His will for me once I was willing to do it on His terms and in His timing. I was finally understanding Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing, and perfect will.”
Although not all of it has been easy, I am learning to see every circumstance as an opportunity to seek God and to do whatever it takes to push through when it seems I’ve run into a wall; that it’s an opportunity for me to give my everything to God, even when it’s difficult, because He gave His everything for me. It reminds me of the story in Mark about the men who bring their paralyzed friend, on a mat, through the roof of a house, just to get to Jesus for healing. That’s the spiritual determination I deeply desire. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 says, “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step, I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.” So, I am learning patience, perseverance, and how to wait on the Lord.
Again, God has had His perfect timing in all of this and it’s been a beautiful journey to experience God’s love through a community that challenges and encourages me towards Christ. My trust and love in God has grown immensely over the past six months, and it has been my pleasure to serve Him; it is my joy to give Him everything, for everything He has given me. I used to wake up every morning depressed, annoyed, and broken. Now I wake up blessed, thankful, and excited for what my God will teach me next. I am falling more and more in love with Him every day and I will continue to for the rest of my life.
Author: Brittany Brown