If He talks, you better listen....

I have always grown up in the church. Every Sunday and every Wednesday, I was there without fail. Every youth event, every church play, if the doors were open, there was a pretty good chance my name was somewhere on the list. Church was just part of life for me growing up. It was where my family went, where my friends were, and where I learned a lot of the lessons that shaped who I am today.

As I got older though, life got busier and I slowly stepped away from being as involved in the church the way I once was. I was not showing up to every event anymore and I was not sitting in the same pew week after week like I did as a kid. But even though my involvement in the church changed, my faith never did. I may have stepped away from the building at times, but I never stepped away from God.

My walk with Christ has had seasons, just like everyone else's. Some seasons I have felt incredibly close to Him, and other seasons I found myself trying to find my way back. Faith is not always a straight path. It ebbs and flows. But through every season of life, I have always kept my hope anchored in Him.

Over the years I have tried Bible study after Bible study, but if I am being honest, I could never really stick with it. The truth is, I do not really enjoy reading. So anything that involves a lot of reading usually loses me pretty quickly. I would start strong, then somewhere along the way I would fall off.

Well, at the beginning of this year, I felt the Lord speaking to me in a way that caught me completely off guard. He was putting it on my heart to lead a virtual Bible study.

Now let me be honest with you. I heard Him. But I tried to ignore it.

I was thinking… me? Lead a Bible study? Alone? Yeah right.

But if there is one thing I know about God, it is that He is persistent. When He puts something on your heart, He does not just drop it after the first no. He kept nudging me. Over and over again. That quiet voice saying, I want you to lead this Bible study.

Finally I stopped fighting it and said, okay God, if this is really what you want, I will start by finding a study. I will go through it myself, get familiar with it, and then I will launch a group.

So one morning I logged onto Lifeway just to browse and see what studies were out there. I figured if there was one I was supposed to do, the Lord would make it stand out.

And let me tell you… He made it stand out alright.

Right there on page one.

“5 Habits of a Woman Who Does Not Quit. A study from the book of Ruth.”

I remember thinking, hmm… let me keep looking.

So I kept scrolling. I looked at other options. But the truth is, the Lord had already made His mind up. I found myself going right back to that study and purchasing it.

I am currently beginning week three out of six, and I can say with full confidence that this study is exactly where the Lord led me because it is exactly what I needed.

Every single week has hit me right in the gut in the best way. It has challenged me. It has encouraged me. It has made me stop and really reflect on my own life and my own faith.

For the first time ever, I actually wake up excited to do my Bible study in the morning. That is something I have truly never felt before, mostly because of my usual dread when it comes to reading. But this time it feels different. It feels purposeful.

And the more I go through this study, the more excited I become to one day lead it and share it with all of you.

I do not have a launch date for the virtual study group just yet. I am still walking through it myself and letting the Lord do His work in me first. But when the time comes, I hope you will join me on this journey.

I want to be clear about one thing though. I am not the perfect Christian. I do not have all the answers. I am still learning, growing, and figuring things out just like everyone else.

But if there is one thing I do know, it is that God is leading me down a path to share Him and share my experiences with others.

And if He is leading, I will follow.

XO - EmBraz