News & Views
Tim Balhatchet in Sheffield explains how his year is going
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A few years on- what does DNA still mean to you?
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Laura Ferris, current DNAer on her DNA year so far....
What a start!!
News & Views
A few years on- what does DNA still mean to you?
written by Rachel Vesse
published on 13th January 2010
published on 13th January 2010
A couple of weeks ago I was preparing for a talk at my church titled ‘Stand Firm’. I started to look back at my journals from my DNA year and was gobsmacked. The ‘Rachel’ I found there was so different from the one I am today! So, I want to share a bit of my story with you…
Three years ago I had just finished my A levels and headed nervously to Horsham to start my DNA year. It was the beginning of a real year of discovery; deepening my understanding of my faith, understanding my strengths and my weaknesses, surrendering to God areas of my life I needed to let him into and most importantly, letting God show me just who I am in Christ.
Being placed by DNA into a church was a real challenge, but an amazing experience too. I was plunged into a place where I was completely loved and accepted, but also challenged and stretched constantly. My week varied from running the church’s internet café, serving tea and coffee at the free kids football club to setting up for our Sunday meeting, planning youth groups, prayer meetings and going to a cell group. It was fantastic, but also quite exhausting as I had to keep meeting people and being very shy then, it was hard. I did like talking to people, but was extremely unsure of myself and nervous in new situations. Looking back in my journal I found myself feeling sick with nerves on numerous occasions!
Yet God is faithful when we are open to him working in our lives and slowly but surely as I was discipled I found myself beginning to change and grow in confidence. There are so many areas that God worked in, but there is one in particular I would like to share with you.
Throughout the DNA year you attend regular training blocks and part of this is being in a small group where you share and pray for each other. In the very first training block a member of my group had a word for me, saying that God would give me a voice over the year. At that point I didn’t really understand the word or even believe it because, as I have said, I was shy and quiet. However, I began to be stretched in this area. One of the first times I had to speak in front of all of the church was when I was involved in organising a 24/7 prayer weekend and I was asked to give a notice at church. This scared me so much! Gradually I began to speak out more. On our international trip in Germany I was even able to give a word to the church that we were serving. By the end of the year, when I was asked to share with the church for 10 minutes about my DNA year I was able to actually enjoy doing this and do it with confidence and belief in myself!
All of this may seem really small, but to me it was huge. And actually, wherever we think we are on our journey, God still has so much more to do in us and through us.
The other thing I find so exciting is that the journey doesn’t end with DNA. I have found that actually it was the beginning of a new stage in my Christian life. I am still stepping out and finding my voice. The key thing DNA did for me is give me tools which help me in facing each new situation. As I said at the beginning of this article, I recently gave a talk called ‘stand firm’. That in itself was a journey as it was the first time I was doing a full talk to the church without a clear idea of what I was going to say. The weeks preceding the talk were quite busy and I began to wonder if I should back out and let someone else do it. I began to feel like I had nothing to share and felt totally inadequate and out of my depth. Yet in all of this God reminded me of a talk we had on DNA where we were taught that even when God has changed things in us, we will face the issues again, life will test the things God does. When God has met us in them we are given the power of choice again and we can choose to act differently. The feelings may still come, but we are equipped with God’s word and power and are able to engage our will so we can stand firm. As I meditated on this I realised that this was what God was asking me to do, to stand firm and believe this talk was something he was asking me to do and to share with others how we can stand firm in the situations that life throws at us. I began reflecting on this on my own life and reading my old journals discovered the word about God giving me a voice. I had completely forgotten it, but God hadn’t and he’s still growing me!
So today I am working as a youth and children’s worker part time for my church as well as working in a school as a teaching assistant and studying. I often find myself in new situations and needing to talk in front of people, but I have so much more confidence, seeing myself more and more how God sees me. The lessons God taught me on DNA have been invaluable and I know that I will ever forget that special year. Sorry it’s cheesy, but it truly was my ‘year-in’ with God!!!
