A Heart Beats Differences
Rebecca Urrutia
April 2, 2009
Filed under Spirituality, Student Life, Top Stories
Lungs inhale, drawing in rich oxygen. Blood cells flow, filling every vein and tiny capillary. Muscles contract, the brain sends a signal, and the body awakens, beginning to move. The heart thumps, slow yet strong and steady, each pump releasing a dose of red liquid life. The body is beautiful when it works the way it was created to. Each cell and every particle has its place, creating a unique union of interdependent systems that sustain one another, providing help and support in a crucial way. The Body of Christ works no differently.
Small groups are the heart of the CCA high school. Triumphing over cliques, they knit the student body together with the love of Christ. They exist to make sure that every cry for help does not return unanswered, that every outstretched hand does not return empty, and that division be bridged to fuel the hunger for righteousness.
Being a student leader for two years now has changed my life. I have seen God work in the lives of my small group, co-leaders, and friends, but I think He has touched my life the most.
My faith has been challenged and stretched week by week . . . it’s not easy to put your emotions, flaws, and failures out on the table for your peers to see. At one time, when I lost a dear aunt of mine, the pain and distress inside my heart had been so great that I feared no one would understand my trouble. But God used my small group to speak to me in ways that I could not have imagined. They were His instrument of love to me in my time of need, and they never failed to be there.
What I hadn’t realized was that we were all hurting in some way or another until our “masks” came off and the truth was spoken. Through that process, God allowed us to experience a whole new level of friendship and sisterhood in Christ. We have cried and laughed alongside each other through the ups and downs, and we have not allowed the difference in age or personality to prevail. I have made some incredible new friendships, and the ones that already existed have grown deeper still. I have been, and continue to be, truly blessed by this group God has given me.