Danica Bezewada
Dear Central Family,
Psalm 51:12—”Restore to me the joy of your salvation”—sums up much of what Central has meant to me. I've been a Christian for 20 years, and I would say that in some ways, the gospel had grown stale to me. It was a message I’d heard over and over again, and it was easy to whittle it down to mere facts. But over the past two years at Central, the joy of my salvation has been renewed. Central, and the Women’s Bible Study in particular, has shown me that the gospel is woven throughout Scripture. I have the image of mining for gold—as if you're sifting through the Bible, excited to stumble upon a piece of gold, a glimmer of the gospel.
In so many ways, Central has developed my relationship with the Lord and truly brought it back to life. As opposed to trying to manually grow, making my faith a series of to-dos, my love for and awe of God has increased, causing the natural outflowing of my spiritual growth. Central’s view of the gospel as shared on Sundays, in the Bible studies, and in Community Groups, is refreshing and infectious. And God has used it all so that he has been put back into a proper place in my mind and in my heart.
My husband Rohit and I come from such different backgrounds, and the fact that Central can keep us both engaged and growing is pretty remarkable. Now that we have a son and are thinking about what it looks like to raise him in the city, it can be very easy to be guided by fear. But the fact that there are people in the church that are raising their children to know and love the Lord amidst the chaos that is New York sets an inspiring example for us and tempers our fears. We long to live a gospel-centered life, but it is hard and can feel even impractical in the city. Our touch points with Central throughout the week continually bring us back to center, back to the gospel. We could not live out our faith without that constant reset and reminder because the tide here is really strong.
As I think about our church, two things come to mind: being propped up and being pointed back. I have felt propped up by our loving community, and I have felt pointed back to the gospel. This church has taken me in, given me a spot at the table, and become my friends. And while close friends are great, the fact that I’m also constantly pointed back to the gospel is what keeps me coming back.
Shortly after we moved to New York, I got coffee with a new friend from Central. I was really struggling to find my place in this big city and wondering if we even belonged. New insecurities had surfaced, making me question if I could ever make New York work. My new friend from Central didn’t try to encourage me with surface-level platitudes like, “Oh don’t worry! You’re great. Everything will be fine.” Instead she said, “Danica, who does God say that you are? What is true of you in his eyes?” She spoke truth to my fears, pointing me back to my heavenly father.
I've never felt the centripetal force around the church like I do with this church, now our church. Thank you, Central, for your authenticity and vulnerability that continues to prop me up and point me back.
From the heart,
Danica
Danica grew up in Dallas, Texas and might have accidentally stayed there if not for her serendipitous meet-cute with (now husband) Rohit. She is an interior designer, recently having launched her firm, Danica Morgan Interiors. She has high hopes of becoming a true New Yorker, and is knee-deep in pre-school applications for their son, Nathaniel.