Come and Share... My Confidence in Christ

Come and Share … My Confidence in Christ

“I never thought in a million years that God would make me a Teaching Director,” Sarah Jawahar says.

Sarah describes herself as an introvert. How can anyone who sounds so warm and welcoming possibly struggle to speak up? But the more you listen, the more you hear it. It’s not a lack of confidence or insecurity; rather, it’s the calmness and gentleness that come from someone who is content to walk quietly with God and let Him do the speaking. Her story is about letting God be strong when we are weak.

Sarah’s story starts with weakness. She struggled with her emotions after her family moved to Dover, Delaware for her husband’s new job. Dover was the last place she wanted to be. “I thought of this move as a place of transition. My family lives in Connecticut and I was hoping to move closer to home.”

The move was more difficult than she anticipated. “I was eight months pregnant with my third daughter,” Sarah recalls. And then there was the winter weather. “That year we had the biggest snowstorm in Delaware. It was hard to get out. I felt isolated.”

While her husband’s job provided for the family, it also kept him away long hours. The move away from family and the new routine began taking a toll on Sarah’s emotions. “I slowly began to get lonely. I fell into a routine with the kids and started taking them to various events and immersing myself in their schooling. I went to church but felt I needed something more.”

That “something more” happened as Sarah was getting into her car after a Sunday church service. “I was standing in the church parking lot when someone asked me to come to CBS.” But Sarah struggled with the invitation. “I wanted a deeper connection with the people I met, but I didn’t really want to get to know people. I wanted to get back to Connecticut.” Making new friends might get in the way of her goal, but she knew she needed fellowship and answers to the questions she faced daily. “How do I deal with anxiety and my problems? Is God really in charge? How do I deal with changes and transitions?”

Sarah returns to the parking lot where she was invited to her very first CBS class.

The CBS class provided Sarah with a safe place to sort through her challenges. “I just felt welcome and I loved getting into the Word in a systematic way.” But she battled her insecurities. “I was so scared to answer my first question. I was thinking it was going to be the wrong answer.” She soon discovered that others dealt with similar fears … and, like them, she found a way to push past the doubts and speak with confidence.

Today, nearly 20 years later, Sarah is still actively involved in CBS. “CBS has been important for my growth,” she says. And talk about growth! Today she is the Teaching Director for her CBS class in Dover. “It transformed me, strengthened me, and made me realize that God has a plan.” And to think that it all started with a simple invitation in a parking lot!