Running With Our Community

At the end of every podcast, we like to ask our guests to share what God has been teaching them in this season of life. This week’s guest is Jena. At the age of 21, Jena Nardella co-founded Blood:Water alongside the band, Jars of Clay. Under her leadership, the organization raised more than $20M to provide grants to grassroots organizations addressing HIV/AIDS and water in sub-Saharan Africa.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith

I do think that the journey I'm in right now is this post blood:water, post leader journey. I'm almost four years out of having been at the leadership helm. I’m trying to make sense of my time there, and I've been feeling some of them, you know, definitely the accomplishment of the work. But really a lot of my mind is focusing on what I wish I had done, you know, X, Y, and Z. 

And really, again, this element, as does the work that we do matter. Even if it doesn't completely turn out the way that we had envisioned in that twenty-five-page proposal when we were 21 years old. So, how do you stick with it?

And especially since now, I don't get to rework the organization and it's doing wonderfully outside of my leadership. But there are still things that I wish I could do. I was struck a couple of weeks ago in Hebrews by the reminder of this cloud of witnesses and this long story of our lives and the even longer narrative of God.

You know, it goes on to talk about how there are so many of these faithful individuals who had moments of progress and incredible things happened. And, you know, there were all of these things to be able to celebrate. And then there were also so many who had been tortured and tormented and who were wondering. And all of them in this passage talks about how they didn't receive what was promised. And I think I'm recognizing how I imagine or live on the assumption that all promises will be answered in my timeline. But now I’m thinking about this longer narrative of the work of our hands and the work of our lives.

I think in comparison to the troubles that they were talking about and living an arduous life of faith, that it's risky, that it's worth it, even if at the end of the day, at the end of the month, at the end of the year, the decade or the lifetime, it doesn't turn out perfectly in the way that you had imagined.

So the reminder of this cloud of witnesses is that we are not alone and that we actually exist within a communal faith that spans time and place and generation. And I think we can tend to be so individualistic about our personal journeys. And I take great comfort and responsibility and conviction around being a part of this broader community of faith.