Broken People

I have always been a luke warm Christian, neither hot or cold, just happy to attend church once in while and go about my daily life trying not to be a bad person. If your there right now, I know it's comfortable, but we were not put on this earth to be comfortable.

I wondered if God could use a broken person like me to do anything worthwhile? I am not pillar of my community. I do have wonderful family but most of the time I believe it's not because of me, it's in spite of me. My life has been full of mistakes, poor decisions and a pension for stupidity that plagues me to this day. When I went to the Thrive Conference in Granite Bay last year, I came away with two ideas that were worth the price of admission. God uses broken people, and effective ministry is messy. If you wait for everything to be planned out and everything to be perfect before you start, your ministry will never get out of the planning phase.

Knowing the kind of person I am, I was afraid I would try and fail. I didn't want to let my weaknesses effect the way other see God. I had never led a Bible study before, I had attended a few, but the thought of others looking to me for direction was, and still is, a little frightening. I took the leap last year and started a small group Bible study here in Esparto. It has been one of the best experiences in my spiritual life.

Last year I ran into the Pastor from Countryside Community Church in Esparto at Thrive and we spoke about the possibility of bring a small worship team to her church once a month, I said I would ask around our church and see what we could do.

This morning at Countryside was truly special. Our little group, three guitarists strong, led the worship. Becky, Tim and Steven, you were great this morning. People opened up and shared their hurts in their lives, their honesty was amazing to see and we gathered around them in prayer as Pastor Pamela lifted these people up Lord. That service lead to a few more conversation after church, powerful conversations revealing more hurt and the need for more prayers. That is what we are called to do, as the body of Christ, we are to reach out to those in need.

If your idea of religion is about hypocrisy and people looking down their noses at you, then we as the church have a lot of work to do. I know one thing, and I know it down deep in my soul, there are many wonderful people who sit quietly in churches across Yolo County, if they knew you were hurting and in need of someone to lean on, a shoulder to cry on, or just to sit with you and let you know that someone simply cares, they would not hesitate to show you the love and compassion inside them.