Tiffany

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

One of the most significant experiences of Christian community was when I was about 20. I was in a bible study that met at my friend Mark’s house in the Palms area near UCLA. We were a group of young Christians all in different stages of our walk, and me a baby Christian. During a typical mid-week meeting, my friend Tiffany shared and started crying about having a sexual relationship with her boyfriend. She shared of how it broke her heart and how she didn’t want to feel distant from God from her own sin. This was a message that resonated with me. For me, something about Christian morals was appealing but just that, a good set of morals to live by. I would live a worldly life trying to fit into this set of morals and mostly failing. As Tiffany shared, we all surrounded her with compassion, encouragement, and love. It was a beautiful example of vulnerability and love in community. It was also a beautiful realization of my own need for God. Seeing her brokenness helped me to see that it wasn't about living by the set of rules but living knowing my absolute desperation for God. Tiffany's brokenness gave me the perspective I needed to see God for who he is and who I am in relation to him, and that its he that does the work in me. 

God showed me this truth through my community, through Tiffany. It was only through realizing my own desperation that the realization of Gods kingdom opened up to me. 

Have you reflected on your brokenness and need for God lately? What experiences have pointed you to this truth? 

Natalie