June 9, 2024 • 37 mins
Have you ever wondered how personal narratives shape our connections and build resilient communities? In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with Gabriela, a scrappy and empathetic attorney whose journey of faith and determination will leave you inspired. Gabriela opens up about the pivotal role of community and storytelling in her life, sharing how her faith has been a beacon of hope during challenging times. Together, we explore the intricacies of maintaining faith in community after experiencing hurt and the imperative of perseverance.
Our conversation delves into the nuanced dynamics of community and connection, highlighting the dual nature of hurt and healing. We reflect on the teachings of Jesus on setting boundaries and finding balance between solitude and social engagement. We also celebrate the ministry "Modern Witnesses," which honors the impactful stories of faith-driven women, moving beyond superficial content to showcase their significant contributions.
We discuss the authenticity and resonance of individual stories, emphasizing the importance of living a simple, gospel-centered life amidst modern distractions. The episode wraps up with reflections on gratitude, faith, and generosity, celebrating the joys of new beginnings and the transformative power of collective prayer and community support. Join us for a conversation filled with wisdom, courage, and the enduring presence of God.
Be inspired with Gabriela @ https://modernwitnesses.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Nancy Bruscher (00:01):
Welcome to Ordinary People, Extraordinary
Things.
I'm so glad you're here.
You are in for a treat.
We have a wonderful guest andwe're going to hear all about
faith and hope.
If you find this episodehelpful, please share it with a
friend.
Welcome to Ordinary People,Extraordinary Things.
(00:22):
I'm here with Gabriella.
Thank you for being on.
Thank you, I'm so with Gabriela.
Gabriela Gonzalez (00:25):
Thank you for being on.
Thank you, I'm so honored to behere, nancy.
Nancy Bruscher (00:28):
I'm so excited we just started chatting via
email and so gracious that yousaid yes to being on the show.
Gabriela Gonzalez (00:36):
Yeah, I'm honored to be invited.
Thank you, and I'm so excitedto feature you on the site.
Nancy Bruscher (00:42):
So, yes, yes, I get to be on your site, modern
Witnesses, and could you tellthat we just have so much in
common?
I feel like, just from fromyour information on your website
, I'm like, oh my goodness, Ifeel like we have the same goals
and we're just kind of doingthat in different ways, which is
really cool.
Yeah, well, before we get intothat, I do want to ask if
(01:07):
there's three words or phrasesthat describe you.
Gabriela Gonzalez (01:10):
Three words or phrases that describe me.
Nancy Bruscher (01:15):
I'd say scrappy bold and I'd say empathetic, oh
wow, yeah, so scrappy and boldand you have empathetic.
That's.
That's probably a good, a goodmixture.
(01:35):
Can you give like an example ofwhy you, why you would say that
yeah, I mean scrappy.
Gabriela Gonzalez (01:41):
I'm someone who, if something needs to get
done, I will figure it out.
Like I will find a way.
Even if it's like the mostunconventional thing, it will
happen.
I feel like that's somethingthat you know faith has played a
big role in, because I feellike when you know that God is
with you, you're just like I cando this, like he's, he's right
(02:02):
here, like he's got my back,we're, we're doing this together
, um, so I think that faithreally emboldens us, and so I
think that's also part of theboldness.
Um, I'm a very direct person.
I work in a very like whatwould be considered a masculine
environment.
I'm an attorney, um, and so Ifeel like there's a certain
(02:23):
assertiveness that you have tohave in that field that I
understand that not everyone has, and so I recognize that in
myself, for better or for worse,and empathetic, I care about
people, I love people.
It's all about people.
I'm such a big believer that Godcreated us for community and
(02:43):
that we need each other a bigbeliever that God created us for
community and that we need eachother.
We change each other, ourstories change.
You know each other, so it'slike I.
I I've also had my own journey,um, just like everyone else,
and so I love stories and I lovehearing people's stories.
And it was someone really wisewhen it said that you know, when
(03:04):
we tell a story, when we'retrying to connect with someone,
it's not so much about us, butit's about whether that person
can connect with the elements ofour story.
And I feel like that's thepower of story, and so I I love
looking for that in people andhearing about their experiences
and thinking spiritually abouthow my faith can connect to that
(03:24):
or how I can connect to thatand vice versa.
Nancy Bruscher (03:27):
Wow, I love that .
Yeah, Well, the boldness andthe scrappy kind of like oh, an
attorney, that makes sense, whyyou'd have to not have to, but
that would.
That would be good for for yourcareer.
You know, to be able to, to bebold for someone, yeah yeah,
it's just like my wiring.
So right, right, that's awesomeand then what would you say to
(03:50):
someone that's like you'resaying we're built for community
, that maybe they've been hurt?
I mean, well, we've all beenhurt, like yeah, but that that
kind of want to give up oncommunity.
Do you have any thoughts or whatyou might say to them?
Gabriela Gonzalez (04:06):
I mean it's tough, right.
We've , we've all been beenhurt and , anyone who works
with people , anyone peopleare difficult , and we are
difficult too ,thinking about who we are in
(04:33):
community , and I guess, cs Lewis has this quote
where he says something alongthe lines of you know ,
but the person we forgive overand over again is ourselves .
(04:53):
And so it's like this idea ofsometimes there's two things
, like we're betterthan others and and we deserve
better and , right, the scripture says all
(05:19):
have fallen short of the gloryof god , right , we're all
in the same canoe .
And then the other side of thecoin can be like genuine hurt
and fear .
Um, I was on a coaching call notlong ago.
I'm part of the arena, which isa coaching program that, um,
(05:41):
erwin McManus leads out.
He's a minister, and it wasinteresting because someone was
asking about this concept and hesaid I would be wary of someone
who has no one in their circle,because that means you are not
fulfilling god's will for you,like there there is, .
(06:16):
And so I see it.
You know it's not optional,it's almost like a command, it's
like tithing.
You know it's.
It's not optional, it's almost,it's like a command, it's like
tithing.
You know it's like there'sthings that just are because
because God is God and you arewho you are, and and I think
that it's important to alwaysremember that God, when he
(06:38):
commands us or, like, tells usto do something, it's because he
knows how we're wired.
He wired us.
And so he knows what's best forus, and so I think that even in
the midst of pain or difficultseasons, it's just important to
remember that God has a planthrough that, and it may not be
evident there then and there.
(06:58):
And you know, I've been hurt bycommunity too, but I've also
been totally rescued bycommunity.
Where community has comethrough for me in in wild ways,
and so it's, it's the idea of.
There's a saying that you can'tnumb one emotion without losing
another.
They say you can't have joywithout pain, and so I think
(07:19):
it's the same thing in here,where it's like we can have bad
experiences, we can also havegood experiences, and so if you
shut it out completely, you'regonna have neither um, and so
you have to remain open to thisidea of community and also have
grace for the fact that we areall so imperfect that's good,
(07:40):
that's really good.
Nancy Bruscher (07:41):
I keep on kind of coming back whenever I, as I,
am an introvert, so sometimesI'd rather just kind of shrink
in, though I do have a lot ofcommunity.
Sometimes you're like, oh, Ijust want to be by myself for a
while.
I just think about how Jesusput himself into community and
he was hurt in community and heknew he would be and you know,
(08:04):
but he, he always went towardsit and so, yeah, that's
something that I always kind ofthink of when I'm, I don't know,
struggling, maybe, with it.
Gabriela Gonzalez (08:14):
I love the idea of Jesus, though, because I
think that sometimes we haveconcepts of what community
looked like that may not be themost healthy, or they may lack
boundaries or you know, butJesus was someone who you know.
Jesus was so wise, I mean, hewas discerning right, and he
teaches us how to engage.
Jesus also took time alone.
Like you said, he was hurt bysomeone from his inner circle.
(08:36):
I mean he.
He's an example in so many ways, and so I I love the idea of
looking to jesus.
It's not about what culturetells you or what a church tells
you to do.
Um, sometimes we do need tohave discernment.
Sometimes there's people whoare not that well-intentioned
around us, you know, and andlike you said also, sometimes
we're wired differently.
(08:57):
Some of us are extroverts andsome of us have a social battery
that you know.
We have our limits and we haveother giftings, and that's
important to take intoconsideration too.
Absolutely.
Nancy Bruscher (09:10):
Well, that wasn't even on our list, but
that was awesome, absolutely.
Gabriela Gonzalez (09:13):
Well, that wasn't even on our list, but
that was awesome.
Nothing looks one way right.
There's no recipe.
Nancy Bruscher (09:19):
So, yeah, so is it your boldness and, obviously,
your faith and your empathy andyour stories.
I hear all those things when Ilook at your website, modern
Witnesses, like we were talkingabout what made you want to
start this ministry.
Gabriela Gonzalez (09:36):
I mean, I, like I said, I love people and
I'm someone who has always umgravitated toward writing.
Uh, growing up, I was part of,you know, I'm a millennial, so I
was part of that culture thatwas really into magazines and
then that came in like as wewere becoming young adults.
And you know, I guess internetbecame really big when I was in
(10:00):
high school, I guess going intocollege and so I loved reading
interviews with people, I lovedfeatures.
I studied journalism so again,I was so into this idea of
storytelling and I alsorecognize that there were so
many amazing women around methat were doing things for God
and God was doing things throughthem.
(10:21):
And while it's cool to readabout you know, someone's
favorite lipstick, I was likethere's way more important stuff
that people are doing and Ifeel like, you know, in the
secular sphere there's nowherethat I see that featured and I
wanted to provide a space forfor that woman who's a woman of
faith, who's who's doing things,and and it started out really
(10:45):
with my friends, so the firstinterviews are all folks that I
know very well and it thenbranched off to friends of
friends and then I started coldemailing and messaging people
that I saw on websites or socialmedia that I really liked and
(11:05):
they started accepting.
And then I would ask them likedo you know a woman of faith who
would be interested, and so itjust kept like growing into this
big ripple effect and I've beenso blessed.
We featured people from aroundthe world, wildly different
lives, you know.
We have women who are inministry, we have women who are
(11:26):
stay-at-home moms and are, youknow, happy to do that.
We have people who go tofashion week and they're happy
to do that, you know, and it'sjust like such a diverse group
of women and I thought it wasreally important to show that.
I think sometimes, likeChristian culture can sort of
tell us that a woman of faithlooks a certain way and when
(11:50):
you're not maybe wired for that,you can feel really out of
place or like god, am I making amistake?
Is this really my calling?
Is this really what life lookslike for me?
And so it was, and I believethat, yes, like god calls us to
wildly different adventures, andso I wanted a place that
showcased that and showed, like,the beauty of just every
(12:13):
adventure, you know, and andmade women feel affirmed in what
God was calling them in andmade them feel celebrated.
We try to celebrate, you know.
We do shout outs for birthdays,graduations, new jobs, bought
my own apartment, had a baby,you know, got engaged, like all
these things, and it's beenbeautiful.
And then we've been reallyfortunate to have publicists
(12:36):
find the site and that's how westarted featuring authors and we
started featuring authorinterviews, excerpts and
supporting book launches, andit's been a really fun adventure
.
So I've I loved every minute ofit.
Nancy Bruscher (12:52):
That is so cool.
Yeah, like I said, the thingthat drew me to your website the
first time well, I thoughtsomeone that was on it and I was
like whoa, what's this, youknow?
And fun checking it out.
And I just see all of thesewords that just really drive at
me like hope and stories andlike everyone has a story, and I
(13:12):
was like, oh my, my goodness,we're speaking the same language
yeah, no, I mean it's, and I'mgrateful, you know, like I'm so
glad that you have the ministrythat you have.
Gabriela Gonzalez (13:25):
It's important, like we need more of
this, I think, especially comingout of the pandemic.
We we have experiencedisolation in many ways,
sometimes even outside of thepandemic.
We we have experiencedisolation in many ways,
sometimes even outside of thepandemic.
You know, sometimes there'stimes where we feel alone and
it's so important to remind thearmy of women out there who are
serving God that you're notalone, like there's a whole,
(13:45):
like army and cohort of us outhere praying and keeping faith
and praying for each other andjust wanting God to transform us
and have him reflect his imageto the world through us.
Nancy Bruscher (14:01):
Yeah, I know that one thing that made me kind
of start the podcast was isthat I felt like a lot of the
podcasts that I was Christianpodcasts I was listening to
featured the same people overand, over and over and over.
You know, like your your bigChristians, right?
And not that I don't lovehearing their story, but I was
(14:23):
just like, is no one else doinganything like for God?
Like there's got to be morestories out there of like just
normal people doing great thingsfor God.
And so I just felt like God wassaying, yep, do it, yep, you do
it.
And I and I tried to get awayfrom it for a while.
You know, it's like God, I gottoo much going on and, um,
(14:47):
honestly, like the thing behindit and I think you you said the
word before was fear.
You know like thing behind itand I think you said the word
before was fear.
You know like what?
If I start this and no one, noone cares, if no one listens, I
put myself out there, right?
I've been so drawn to storiesfor years and years and years
and and it seems like you aretoo and I've just been so
passionate that everyone has astory and just really trying to
(15:09):
get that out of people is likeyou don't have to have like this
huge conversion story.
You don't have to maybe bedoing this huge ministry, but
are you going out and you knowloving on people?
Are you going?
And you know taking time to gointo a nursing home, like
everyone has something they'redoing and kind of seeing.
That I think can build peopleup a little bit more than like
(15:33):
this person that has a hugeplatform that you're like I
can't even live up to.
That I can't relate to that.
Gabriela Gonzalez (15:40):
Absolutely.
I agree with you 100%.
I'm so glad that you accept thecall.
That's beautiful and I knowthat God is going to grow it and
use it wildly.
That's a blessing and it'sagain, it's so important.
Like you said, you're like isthere no one else?
Like yeah, but for some reasonno one's paying attention to
(16:02):
them.
Well, not no one.
Obviously we are, but sometimesit feels like that and you're
like why?
So I'm so glad that you werelike nope, this ends here like
why so?
Nancy Bruscher (16:17):
I'm so glad that you were like nope, this ends
here.
Well, well, do you?
Gabriela Gonzalez (16:18):
do you believe everyone has a has a
story?
Oh, absolutely, I thinkeveryone has a story and also
this is controversial I thinkeveryone has something they can
teach us, even if it's how notto be.
Yeah, but I I think soabsolutely.
And, like you said, I thinkthat there's this pressure of
like it being something big orwhatever that means to people
(16:40):
you know, but it's like, no,like God uses everyone in such
different ways and it may seemsmall to you, but to someone
else it may be like somethingbig, it may be a light bulb
moment, it may be like somethingbig.
It may be a light bulb moment.
It may be encouragement to goafter what God has been
whispering to them.
I mean, you don't know, likeagain, god uses so much in ways
that we have no idea andprobably won't have any idea on
(17:02):
the side of heaven.
And so, absolutely I believethat God has a purpose for each
one of us.
I mean, like he knew us, heformed us in the womb.
Nancy Bruscher (17:12):
I mean 100, 100, yeah well, the other word that
I see on your website thatreally kind of spoke to me was
the word witness.
Yeah, could you, could youexplain, maybe in your word,
what you think witness means?
I feel like it's this kind ofscary word or a word that we
(17:35):
know in christianity but wedon't know what it means.
It's like, okay, witness, andthen we don't do it because we
don't know what they mean, orthey automatically think you're
like jehovah witness orsomething.
Gabriela Gonzalez (17:49):
Yeah, I mean it's interesting because there's
like it has like two meaningsto me, right.
Like the first meaning thatstood out to me was it's really
coming out of that verse wherewhere Jesus says, you'll be my
witnesses and act right wherehe's like I will send you, you
know, jerusalem, judea, likeSamaria, and to the ends of the
(18:11):
earth.
And so I think that's beautifuland the instruction is
beautiful because it reminds usthat you know Jerusalem was home
, right.
And so it's like everythingstarts in our personal sphere,
and the idea of the website isthat it will not only reach your
personal sphere of folks whoare Christians and encourage
them on their walk but we'realso hoping people share it with
their sphere of influence,those who aren't people of faith
(18:32):
, you know, and the reason whyis because of the other meaning
that that has to.
You know, being an attorney andI'm a litigator, so I do trials,
and when you're preparing atrial, you prepare your
witnesses, right.
They're people who havefirsthand knowledge of what has
happened, and it's somethingimportant that makes a case for
something, and so I think thatpeople's stories, right, are a
(18:57):
testimony, to give it anothername, it's.
It's something that's soextremely powerful.
When I was growing up, I wasreally into apologetics, you
know, which is this idea offorming arguments right to
defend your faith, and butwhat's interesting about a
testimony is that no one cantell you it didn't happen to you
(19:19):
, because you know it did.
You know, no one can be like,no, you weren't healed.
It's like, no, actually I was.
You know, no one can reallyconfront you with that, and
that's the power of a personaltestimony.
And so I remember one year wedid what was called trial month
on modern witnesses and it wasall about witnessing and and
(19:41):
really that's what it is.
It's like trying to equip, youknow, anyone who runs into the
site, but our target audience iswomen, right On how to share
their stories and why it's soimportant.
Like you have been a witness tosomething.
We've all been witnesses to Godin different ways, like his, how
he's manifested, his power,intervened for us, blessed us,
(20:04):
and so the idea is that we cando that, and do it without shame
, like do it in a bold way thatreally impacts those around us.
You know, scripture says thatthey overcame by the blood of
the lamb and the power right Oftheir testimony.
So it's like I think it's justit's so important, so that's
(20:27):
really why I chose the word.
It's like this acknowledgementthat we have all seen something
right.
Like it's like the disciplesused to say we we cannot speak
of anything other than what wehave seen, and the hope is that
we can all be inspired to to bethat way and tell others and be
(20:47):
like listen.
I don't know what you've beenthrough and what your journey
has been, but all I can share iswhat I have seen right, which
is what God has done for me.
And, like I said, there's,there's just there's power in
that, because it's your story,um, and it's real.
Nancy Bruscher (21:05):
Yeah, yeah, I love that.
And what I was hearing you sayis that like, yeah, you can't.
I feel like this is what I'vecome to know through doing this,
for, you know, a couple ofyears now is that it's it's a
little bit easier for someone tomaybe listen to a podcast or
(21:27):
read your stories that you haveon there.
Uh, because it's not you have onthere, because it's not, it's
not really mostly in your face,it's mostly more of a, like you
said, it's just my story andlike, whether you like it or not
, it is my story and but peoplecan relate to that maybe a
(21:52):
little bit better.
And I'm seeing more people thatI that probably wouldn't call
themselves Christians or justkind of like trying to figure
out like what, what is thisJesus thing?
But when it's just someone'sstory, it's it's much more like
maybe relatable or easier todigest or, um, yeah, I just I
remember the apologetics and Iand I've gone to different
(22:14):
witnessing or testimonying orlike how do you, how do you
evangelize, kind of things.
You know, and I'm not sayingthat that might not work for
some people, but in a way Ithink it's it's almost made it
harder than it really needs tobe right.
Gabriela Gonzalez (22:29):
Like all important and they have their
place, but we have made this waymore complicated than it needs
to be, I think yeah, yeah, canyou, can you share on that a
little bit?
no, I mean, I really, I reallywant to hear.
The rest of your thoughts areinterrupted.
But I just like I, I fullyagree that.
(22:51):
I think that you know, we don'thave to do everything.
I think so much of our jobspiritually is to really just
introduce someone into just aninkling of who God is, to make
them just want to see orexperience or test that
(23:15):
themselves.
And I think sometimes in likechurch circles or just like we
are thinking of like all thesteps, like 20 steps right, like
all the way to baptism, likeand there's nothing wrong with
that, all those things areimportant, but just thinking
that, yeah, I think sometimes weunderestimate what God can do,
(23:37):
um, and that like it can also bea lot more organic.
There doesn't need to be I hateto use the word agenda, but for
lack of a better word, you feellike that sometimes, where you
feel like right right and you'relike, okay, relax, um, and so,
(24:01):
yeah, I mean, I just think thatlife, a spirit-led life, where
we are allowing God to to leadour walk and and who we cross
paths with, and all these things, it lends itself to a lot of
organic opportunities and andthere's no need for 20 steps.
All that's needed is just thecourage to share.
Nancy Bruscher (24:22):
Yeah, and I like what you said is we've made it
so much harder than it is when atestimony, a witness, is just
saying what God's done in yourlife, and I feel like that takes
the pressure off of someonetrying to learn what to say,
(24:42):
takes the pressure off ofsomeone trying to, like, learn
what to say, but then thatdoesn't seem like really, it
seems like too boxed.
You know, like do you say thatto every single person you meet?
you know, coming across as um,as someone, that someone can be
like oh you, you want to hearfrom me, you, you care about me,
you, you didn't just say thisexact thing, rote thing to every
(25:06):
, every person and and I don'tknow how much that that works,
and I think that's why we'reseeing a, I'm seeing a shift of
like, a lot of people tellinglike we have to tell our story,
we have to explain it in thisway, because this might be the
way that we can actually likeimpact the kingdom.
Gabriela Gonzalez (25:27):
Yeah, and I think that, going back to one of
the first points we made,that's why community is so
important.
When you mentioned like oh,this person cares, they want to
hear from me, I mean that's whatJesus said he wanted to see,
right.
I mean that's what Jesus saidhe wanted to see right.
(26:02):
Like us taking care of widows,and like this has been oversaid
and it sounds almost cliche, butit's true.
Like Jesus met people's needsfirst right.
And it's important that we can'thave one without the other.
And, to be honest, the meetingpeople's needs part takes work,
it takes relation, it takes time, it takes being inconvenienced
or whatever Convenience likethat's.
Those are the moments that lifeis actually made up of Right
and those are the moments where,like looking back when I
mentioned that I've also seencommunity come through for me in
a wild way.
It was inconvenient for someoneelse, it meant that person
cared, like those.
Those are the moments thatbecome the highlights of the, of
(26:24):
the testimony.
It's.
It's the really real, raw,unscripted moments, that where
we really open our hearts andand take a beat and pause and
see someone.
Everyone wants to be seen andthat magic Well, not magic in
the literal sense, but that wasthe beauty of who.
Jesus was right, like everyonewho came into his presence was
(26:47):
seen, and seen in a profound way, not in a judgmental way.
He saw their hearts and heinspired them to more.
And so I think that if Jesus isour example, that's what we
should be doing Like we need tostop and we need to look around
us.
And that can be hard because welive in a world with so much
distraction and it's just likego, go, go.
(27:09):
You know and I say that fullyacknowledging like you know,
there's times where the train isdelayed and you're like annoyed
but you just never know what'sbehind that and what the
opportunity is, and you have tostop, look up from your phone
and look around you Like there'sso many people who are hurting,
we are hurting, and if we'rehurting and we, we have faith
(27:29):
and we have God, and there's alot of anguish out there that we
can try to.
At least, even if we can'talleviate it, we can stand in
solidarity with people throughit yeah, I like what you said
and all that is like.
Nancy Bruscher (27:46):
I think sometimes all someone needs to
do is be seen and say, oh, youlike you actually asked how I'm
doing and you care, like I don'tget alone.
But that takes like looking atpeople and having more than two
seconds to say hey, you know,and actually taking time for
(28:07):
someone.
Gabriela Gonzalez (28:09):
Yeah, it's like it's simple but it's not
given everything that'scompeting for our attention.
It's like the most simple thing, but yet it's hard for us, and
so that's the interesting thingand it's yeah, we've made life,
just in general, morecomplicated.
It needs to be.
So it's like we're being calledto return to the simple and
it's like just look up, justlook at that person in front of
(28:29):
you, but that's right.
Nancy Bruscher (28:33):
I was just thinking isn't that what the
kind of the gospel is?
Is?
It's actually very simple.
Yeah, I know there's a lot oflayers, but at the very core of
it, love god, love others, yep,to actually live it out that's
because all the simplicity goesagainst our nature.
Gabriela Gonzalez (28:52):
I was listening to a pastor the other
day who was saying this, wherehe's like hope, despair,
negativity, that's easy.
That's easy because that's whatwe're wired for now, like being
sinful beings.
What's hard is love and hope,and, and again, it's so simple.
But because it goes against ournatural nature, it's hard.
(29:14):
And so it's like, yeah, thegospel is so simple, but it's so
hard because it goes againsteverything our nature wants to
do.
But that's, I guess, also theamazing thing is that we can't
take credit for it, because then, when we do live it out, it's
God in us.
And what greater privilege,right, like there's there's so
(29:36):
many phases where you gosomewhere to pray and and what
greater privilege that we have,god in us, like if we invite god
in us, like, and that's thesame power that you know we just
had easterly, that rose jesusfrom the dead.
Like it's god.
And I think again, we don'trealize what we have.
(29:56):
We, we minimize it, we box itin, we, we I don't know out a
script and and think about it ina certain way, but god is, is
beyond anything we can imagine,and jesus did things in such an
unconventional way.
He was always what peopledidn't expect.
He always did things in the waythat people felt was backwards.
(30:18):
And so, again, it simple, butit's not.
Nancy Bruscher (30:22):
Yeah, yeah, I was just thinking, and I told
this to someone a while, notvery long ago.
As I was saying, I wonder howimpactful community can be in
our life if I feel like theworld is telling us so badly not
to be.
And I was like, oh, I wonder, Iwonder, you know like how, how
(30:47):
much this really matters if it'sso easy not to like you know?
It's like, yeah, I don't know,go to that, I won't go to the
Bible study, I won't go to that,I got something else to do
today and it's like.
It's like, ooh, I wonder ifit's because it's really that
life changing.
Gabriela Gonzalez (31:05):
I think that's true.
I mean, we see that ineverything.
I think there's something tothat.
I think that we're always sortof there's a narrative trying to
lead us away from what we need,and that's where discernment
comes in.
That's why we have to be sorooted and in truth and in
knowing what god wants for us.
(31:25):
Because there is so much noiseand so many voices out there,
it's really easy to getsidetracked, whether it's out of
convenience, out of wantingsocial acceptance so much.
Right, that appeals to ourpride and just who we are as
humans.
But I think you're right.
I think, yeah, every time wesee something like that, I think
(31:47):
we're onto something, whenwe're like, hmm, what is behind
this?
This is important, right?
Nancy Bruscher (31:54):
Yeah Well, I cannot believe that.
Like 35 minutes has alreadygone by, so not fair.
We'll have to do this again.
But what is your favorite Bibleverse or story?
Gabriela Gonzalez (32:10):
I would say I have like two favorite stories,
one like Old Testament, one NewTestament.
I think in the Old Testament,my favorite is the story of the
three Hebrew boys who get throwninto the fire because they
refused to bow down.
I think that there is somethingwildly courageous about what
they did and just the way theysaid you know, even if God
(32:33):
doesn't intervene like, webelieve in this and this is our
conviction and I think that thisstory illustrates.
You know, everyone was there,all the people were there.
And I think that when thinkingabout stories, I think sometimes
, when we're going through verydifficult moments, god sets up
the story.
In the same way, he sets up aplatform where everyone is
(32:57):
watching.
And then, when you do something,where everyone is watching and
then when you do something, evenif you end up in the fire, it
gives the opportunity for peopleto then look into the fire and
be like I think I just saw Godin there with them and I find
that so powerful.
I love that story.
(33:17):
I love the faith, theconviction and, most of all, the
promise that he stands with usin the fire.
Um, and in the new testament, Iwould say the story of lazarus.
I am obsessed with that storyfor many reasons.
I obviously shows it's aforeshadowing of all that god
plans to do when he restores alland makes things right, this
(33:41):
promise of eternal life that he,you know it's only through him.
But I also see it as a reminderto us, just in this moment,
that God can redeem so much andresurrect so much, like there's
nothing impossible.
I think my favorite verse inthat passage is when Jesus tells
(34:02):
Martha did I not tell you thatif you believe, you would see
the glory of God?
That, to me, is something thatI often repeat to myself.
I think life is full of twistsand turns and don't get me wrong
really dark moments.
It gets dark and it gets bleak.
But he is life and he tells us.
(34:23):
If you believe, you will seethe glory of god, and I don't
know what that means in everysingle circumstance, but that's
a promise and and I, I love it,and I love the beauty of that
story um of dead, you know,coming to life, and so I'd say
those two stories are ones thatI always hold close to my heart.
Nancy Bruscher (34:44):
Oh, those are good.
What are you grateful for?
Gabriela Gonzalez (34:49):
Oh, wow, so much, so much, like so many
blessings, um and I mean nottruly like, as someone who you
know, again, I've had my ownjourney, um, I've I've
experienced, you know, family,you know tearing apart parents,
divorce, like housing,insecurity.
(35:09):
You know, like we all have likethis story and I I don't take
things for granted likeliterally every time I pay my
rent, I'm like thank you god,like for this roof over my head,
like just everything.
Time I pay my rent, I'm likethank you God, like for this
roof over my head, like justeverything.
I recognize his provision.
I feel so blessed beyond measure.
Like I look around, I'm like Ihave more than I could ever, you
know, have imagined in the past, and I think God gives to us so
(35:34):
we can be generous and give toothers, and so it's like like
I'm just grateful for so much myhealth, my family, um, I just
recently got married, so thatwas obviously a really big
moment, um, and a beginning of anew chapter, just everything.
(35:55):
And I'm also grateful for.
You know, I live in a verydifficult city.
I move around and work here, um, it's not the safest place, and
so, you know, I pray every timeI leave my house and and just I
have felt God's protection inso many ways.
Nancy Bruscher (36:12):
just I see it everywhere and so I'm just I'm
grateful that I'm just stillhere and despite the New York's
been good to me, and you know,family health can't ask for more
you coming on and sharing yourstory and we will link modern
(36:43):
witnesses because I know thatpeople are going to want to look
at that and find more storiesand then hopefully tell their
story.
Gabriela Gonzalez (36:47):
I would love that, and we have like a little
tab where it says get noticed.
So if you would like to shareyour story affirmatively like,
please drop us a note there.
Again, so excited to run yourstory and I've just been so
honored.
Thank you, this has been such abeautiful conversation.
I've been blessed by it.
So thank you so much for havingme.
Nancy Bruscher (37:06):
It means a lot, thank you At Ordinary People
Extraordinary Things.
We would love your prayers andif you'd like to take it up a
notch, would you consider beingon our prayer team?
Visitgenerations2generationscom and
under the podcast tab you willfind a place to join our prayer
(37:27):
team.
When you join our prayer team,you will get an email every
other week on how you canspecifically pray for ordinary
people extraordinary things,where your story is His glory.
Welcome to Ordinary People, Extraordinary
Things.
I'm so glad you're here.
You are in for a treat.
We have a wonderful guest andwe're going to hear all about
faith and hope.
If you find this episodehelpful, please share it with a
friend.
Welcome to Ordinary People,Extraordinary Things.
(00:22):
I'm here with Gabriella.
Thank you for being on.
Thank you, I'm so with Gabriela.
Gabriela Gonzalez (00:25):
Thank you for being on.
Thank you, I'm so honored to behere, nancy.
Nancy Bruscher (00:28):
I'm so excited we just started chatting via
email and so gracious that yousaid yes to being on the show.
Gabriela Gonzalez (00:36):
Yeah, I'm honored to be invited.
Thank you, and I'm so excitedto feature you on the site.
Nancy Bruscher (00:42):
So, yes, yes, I get to be on your site, modern
Witnesses, and could you tellthat we just have so much in
common?
I feel like, just from fromyour information on your website
, I'm like, oh my goodness, Ifeel like we have the same goals
and we're just kind of doingthat in different ways, which is
really cool.
Yeah, well, before we get intothat, I do want to ask if
(01:07):
there's three words or phrasesthat describe you.
Gabriela Gonzalez (01:10):
Three words or phrases that describe me.
Nancy Bruscher (01:15):
I'd say scrappy bold and I'd say empathetic, oh
wow, yeah, so scrappy and boldand you have empathetic.
That's.
That's probably a good, a goodmixture.
(01:35):
Can you give like an example ofwhy you, why you would say that
yeah, I mean scrappy.
Gabriela Gonzalez (01:41):
I'm someone who, if something needs to get
done, I will figure it out.
Like I will find a way.
Even if it's like the mostunconventional thing, it will
happen.
I feel like that's somethingthat you know faith has played a
big role in, because I feellike when you know that God is
with you, you're just like I cando this, like he's, he's right
(02:02):
here, like he's got my back,we're, we're doing this together
, um, so I think that faithreally emboldens us, and so I
think that's also part of theboldness.
Um, I'm a very direct person.
I work in a very like whatwould be considered a masculine
environment.
I'm an attorney, um, and so Ifeel like there's a certain
(02:23):
assertiveness that you have tohave in that field that I
understand that not everyone has, and so I recognize that in
myself, for better or for worse,and empathetic, I care about
people, I love people.
It's all about people.
I'm such a big believer that Godcreated us for community and
(02:43):
that we need each other a bigbeliever that God created us for
community and that we need eachother.
We change each other, ourstories change.
You know each other, so it'slike I.
I I've also had my own journey,um, just like everyone else,
and so I love stories and I lovehearing people's stories.
And it was someone really wisewhen it said that you know, when
(03:04):
we tell a story, when we'retrying to connect with someone,
it's not so much about us, butit's about whether that person
can connect with the elements ofour story.
And I feel like that's thepower of story, and so I I love
looking for that in people andhearing about their experiences
and thinking spiritually abouthow my faith can connect to that
(03:24):
or how I can connect to thatand vice versa.
Nancy Bruscher (03:27):
Wow, I love that .
Yeah, Well, the boldness andthe scrappy kind of like oh, an
attorney, that makes sense, whyyou'd have to not have to, but
that would.
That would be good for for yourcareer.
You know, to be able to, to bebold for someone, yeah yeah,
it's just like my wiring.
So right, right, that's awesomeand then what would you say to
(03:50):
someone that's like you'resaying we're built for community
, that maybe they've been hurt?
I mean, well, we've all beenhurt, like yeah, but that that
kind of want to give up oncommunity.
Do you have any thoughts or whatyou might say to them?
Gabriela Gonzalez (04:06):
I mean it's tough, right.
We've , we've all been beenhurt and , anyone who works
with people , anyone peopleare difficult , and we are
difficult too ,thinking about who we are in
(04:33):
community , and I guess, cs Lewis has this quote
where he says something alongthe lines of you know ,
but the person we forgive overand over again is ourselves .
(04:53):
And so it's like this idea ofsometimes there's two things
, like we're betterthan others and and we deserve
better and , right, the scripture says all
(05:19):
have fallen short of the gloryof god , right , we're all
in the same canoe .
And then the other side of thecoin can be like genuine hurt
and fear .
Um, I was on a coaching call notlong ago.
I'm part of the arena, which isa coaching program that, um,
(05:41):
erwin McManus leads out.
He's a minister, and it wasinteresting because someone was
asking about this concept and hesaid I would be wary of someone
who has no one in their circle,because that means you are not
fulfilling god's will for you,like there there is, .
(06:16):
And so I see it.
You know it's not optional,it's almost like a command, it's
like tithing.
You know it's.
It's not optional, it's almost,it's like a command, it's like
tithing.
You know it's like there'sthings that just are because
because God is God and you arewho you are, and and I think
that it's important to alwaysremember that God, when he
(06:38):
commands us or, like, tells usto do something, it's because he
knows how we're wired.
He wired us.
And so he knows what's best forus, and so I think that even in
the midst of pain or difficultseasons, it's just important to
remember that God has a planthrough that, and it may not be
evident there then and there.
(06:58):
And you know, I've been hurt bycommunity too, but I've also
been totally rescued bycommunity.
Where community has comethrough for me in in wild ways,
and so it's, it's the idea of.
There's a saying that you can'tnumb one emotion without losing
another.
They say you can't have joywithout pain, and so I think
(07:19):
it's the same thing in here,where it's like we can have bad
experiences, we can also havegood experiences, and so if you
shut it out completely, you'regonna have neither um, and so
you have to remain open to thisidea of community and also have
grace for the fact that we areall so imperfect that's good,
(07:40):
that's really good.
Nancy Bruscher (07:41):
I keep on kind of coming back whenever I, as I,
am an introvert, so sometimesI'd rather just kind of shrink
in, though I do have a lot ofcommunity.
Sometimes you're like, oh, Ijust want to be by myself for a
while.
I just think about how Jesusput himself into community and
he was hurt in community and heknew he would be and you know,
(08:04):
but he, he always went towardsit and so, yeah, that's
something that I always kind ofthink of when I'm, I don't know,
struggling, maybe, with it.
Gabriela Gonzalez (08:14):
I love the idea of Jesus, though, because I
think that sometimes we haveconcepts of what community
looked like that may not be themost healthy, or they may lack
boundaries or you know, butJesus was someone who you know.
Jesus was so wise, I mean, hewas discerning right, and he
teaches us how to engage.
Jesus also took time alone.
Like you said, he was hurt bysomeone from his inner circle.
(08:36):
I mean he.
He's an example in so many ways, and so I I love the idea of
looking to jesus.
It's not about what culturetells you or what a church tells
you to do.
Um, sometimes we do need tohave discernment.
Sometimes there's people whoare not that well-intentioned
around us, you know, and andlike you said also, sometimes
we're wired differently.
(08:57):
Some of us are extroverts andsome of us have a social battery
that you know.
We have our limits and we haveother giftings, and that's
important to take intoconsideration too.
Absolutely.
Nancy Bruscher (09:10):
Well, that wasn't even on our list, but
that was awesome, absolutely.
Gabriela Gonzalez (09:13):
Well, that wasn't even on our list, but
that was awesome.
Nothing looks one way right.
There's no recipe.
Nancy Bruscher (09:19):
So, yeah, so is it your boldness and, obviously,
your faith and your empathy andyour stories.
I hear all those things when Ilook at your website, modern
Witnesses, like we were talkingabout what made you want to
start this ministry.
Gabriela Gonzalez (09:36):
I mean, I, like I said, I love people and
I'm someone who has always umgravitated toward writing.
Uh, growing up, I was part of,you know, I'm a millennial, so I
was part of that culture thatwas really into magazines and
then that came in like as wewere becoming young adults.
And you know, I guess internetbecame really big when I was in
(10:00):
high school, I guess going intocollege and so I loved reading
interviews with people, I lovedfeatures.
I studied journalism so again,I was so into this idea of
storytelling and I alsorecognize that there were so
many amazing women around methat were doing things for God
and God was doing things throughthem.
(10:21):
And while it's cool to readabout you know, someone's
favorite lipstick, I was likethere's way more important stuff
that people are doing and Ifeel like, you know, in the
secular sphere there's nowherethat I see that featured and I
wanted to provide a space forfor that woman who's a woman of
faith, who's who's doing things,and and it started out really
(10:45):
with my friends, so the firstinterviews are all folks that I
know very well and it thenbranched off to friends of
friends and then I started coldemailing and messaging people
that I saw on websites or socialmedia that I really liked and
(11:05):
they started accepting.
And then I would ask them likedo you know a woman of faith who
would be interested, and so itjust kept like growing into this
big ripple effect and I've beenso blessed.
We featured people from aroundthe world, wildly different
lives, you know.
We have women who are inministry, we have women who are
(11:26):
stay-at-home moms and are, youknow, happy to do that.
We have people who go tofashion week and they're happy
to do that, you know, and it'sjust like such a diverse group
of women and I thought it wasreally important to show that.
I think sometimes, likeChristian culture can sort of
tell us that a woman of faithlooks a certain way and when
(11:50):
you're not maybe wired for that,you can feel really out of
place or like god, am I making amistake?
Is this really my calling?
Is this really what life lookslike for me?
And so it was, and I believethat, yes, like god calls us to
wildly different adventures, andso I wanted a place that
showcased that and showed, like,the beauty of just every
(12:13):
adventure, you know, and andmade women feel affirmed in what
God was calling them in andmade them feel celebrated.
We try to celebrate, you know.
We do shout outs for birthdays,graduations, new jobs, bought
my own apartment, had a baby,you know, got engaged, like all
these things, and it's beenbeautiful.
And then we've been reallyfortunate to have publicists
(12:36):
find the site and that's how westarted featuring authors and we
started featuring authorinterviews, excerpts and
supporting book launches, andit's been a really fun adventure
.
So I've I loved every minute ofit.
Nancy Bruscher (12:52):
That is so cool.
Yeah, like I said, the thingthat drew me to your website the
first time well, I thoughtsomeone that was on it and I was
like whoa, what's this, youknow?
And fun checking it out.
And I just see all of thesewords that just really drive at
me like hope and stories andlike everyone has a story, and I
(13:12):
was like, oh my, my goodness,we're speaking the same language
yeah, no, I mean it's, and I'mgrateful, you know, like I'm so
glad that you have the ministrythat you have.
Gabriela Gonzalez (13:25):
It's important, like we need more of
this, I think, especially comingout of the pandemic.
We we have experiencedisolation in many ways,
sometimes even outside of thepandemic.
We we have experiencedisolation in many ways,
sometimes even outside of thepandemic.
You know, sometimes there'stimes where we feel alone and
it's so important to remind thearmy of women out there who are
serving God that you're notalone, like there's a whole,
(13:45):
like army and cohort of us outhere praying and keeping faith
and praying for each other andjust wanting God to transform us
and have him reflect his imageto the world through us.
Nancy Bruscher (14:01):
Yeah, I know that one thing that made me kind
of start the podcast was isthat I felt like a lot of the
podcasts that I was Christianpodcasts I was listening to
featured the same people overand, over and over and over.
You know, like your your bigChristians, right?
And not that I don't lovehearing their story, but I was
(14:23):
just like, is no one else doinganything like for God?
Like there's got to be morestories out there of like just
normal people doing great thingsfor God.
And so I just felt like God wassaying, yep, do it, yep, you do
it.
And I and I tried to get awayfrom it for a while.
You know, it's like God, I gottoo much going on and, um,
(14:47):
honestly, like the thing behindit and I think you you said the
word before was fear.
You know like thing behind itand I think you said the word
before was fear.
You know like what?
If I start this and no one, noone cares, if no one listens, I
put myself out there, right?
I've been so drawn to storiesfor years and years and years
and and it seems like you aretoo and I've just been so
passionate that everyone has astory and just really trying to
(15:09):
get that out of people is likeyou don't have to have like this
huge conversion story.
You don't have to maybe bedoing this huge ministry, but
are you going out and you knowloving on people?
Are you going?
And you know taking time to gointo a nursing home, like
everyone has something they'redoing and kind of seeing.
That I think can build peopleup a little bit more than like
(15:33):
this person that has a hugeplatform that you're like I
can't even live up to.
That I can't relate to that.
Gabriela Gonzalez (15:40):
Absolutely.
I agree with you 100%.
I'm so glad that you accept thecall.
That's beautiful and I knowthat God is going to grow it and
use it wildly.
That's a blessing and it'sagain, it's so important.
Like you said, you're like isthere no one else?
Like yeah, but for some reasonno one's paying attention to
(16:02):
them.
Well, not no one.
Obviously we are, but sometimesit feels like that and you're
like why?
So I'm so glad that you werelike nope, this ends here like
why so?
Nancy Bruscher (16:17):
I'm so glad that you were like nope, this ends
here.
Well, well, do you?
Gabriela Gonzalez (16:18):
do you believe everyone has a has a
story?
Oh, absolutely, I thinkeveryone has a story and also
this is controversial I thinkeveryone has something they can
teach us, even if it's how notto be.
Yeah, but I I think soabsolutely.
And, like you said, I thinkthat there's this pressure of
like it being something big orwhatever that means to people
(16:40):
you know, but it's like, no,like God uses everyone in such
different ways and it may seemsmall to you, but to someone
else it may be like somethingbig, it may be a light bulb
moment, it may be like somethingbig.
It may be a light bulb moment.
It may be encouragement to goafter what God has been
whispering to them.
I mean, you don't know, likeagain, god uses so much in ways
that we have no idea andprobably won't have any idea on
(17:02):
the side of heaven.
And so, absolutely I believethat God has a purpose for each
one of us.
I mean, like he knew us, heformed us in the womb.
Nancy Bruscher (17:12):
I mean 100, 100, yeah well, the other word that
I see on your website thatreally kind of spoke to me was
the word witness.
Yeah, could you, could youexplain, maybe in your word,
what you think witness means?
I feel like it's this kind ofscary word or a word that we
(17:35):
know in christianity but wedon't know what it means.
It's like, okay, witness, andthen we don't do it because we
don't know what they mean, orthey automatically think you're
like jehovah witness orsomething.
Gabriela Gonzalez (17:49):
Yeah, I mean it's interesting because there's
like it has like two meaningsto me, right.
Like the first meaning thatstood out to me was it's really
coming out of that verse wherewhere Jesus says, you'll be my
witnesses and act right wherehe's like I will send you, you
know, jerusalem, judea, likeSamaria, and to the ends of the
(18:11):
earth.
And so I think that's beautifuland the instruction is
beautiful because it reminds usthat you know Jerusalem was home
, right.
And so it's like everythingstarts in our personal sphere,
and the idea of the website isthat it will not only reach your
personal sphere of folks whoare Christians and encourage
them on their walk but we'realso hoping people share it with
their sphere of influence,those who aren't people of faith
(18:32):
, you know, and the reason whyis because of the other meaning
that that has to.
You know, being an attorney andI'm a litigator, so I do trials,
and when you're preparing atrial, you prepare your
witnesses, right.
They're people who havefirsthand knowledge of what has
happened, and it's somethingimportant that makes a case for
something, and so I think thatpeople's stories, right, are a
(18:57):
testimony, to give it anothername, it's.
It's something that's soextremely powerful.
When I was growing up, I wasreally into apologetics, you
know, which is this idea offorming arguments right to
defend your faith, and butwhat's interesting about a
testimony is that no one cantell you it didn't happen to you
(19:19):
, because you know it did.
You know, no one can be like,no, you weren't healed.
It's like, no, actually I was.
You know, no one can reallyconfront you with that, and
that's the power of a personaltestimony.
And so I remember one year wedid what was called trial month
on modern witnesses and it wasall about witnessing and and
(19:41):
really that's what it is.
It's like trying to equip, youknow, anyone who runs into the
site, but our target audience iswomen, right On how to share
their stories and why it's soimportant.
Like you have been a witness tosomething.
We've all been witnesses to Godin different ways, like his, how
he's manifested, his power,intervened for us, blessed us,
(20:04):
and so the idea is that we cando that, and do it without shame
, like do it in a bold way thatreally impacts those around us.
You know, scripture says thatthey overcame by the blood of
the lamb and the power right Oftheir testimony.
So it's like I think it's justit's so important, so that's
(20:27):
really why I chose the word.
It's like this acknowledgementthat we have all seen something
right.
Like it's like the disciplesused to say we we cannot speak
of anything other than what wehave seen, and the hope is that
we can all be inspired to to bethat way and tell others and be
(20:47):
like listen.
I don't know what you've beenthrough and what your journey
has been, but all I can share iswhat I have seen right, which
is what God has done for me.
And, like I said, there's,there's just there's power in
that, because it's your story,um, and it's real.
Nancy Bruscher (21:05):
Yeah, yeah, I love that.
And what I was hearing you sayis that like, yeah, you can't.
I feel like this is what I'vecome to know through doing this,
for, you know, a couple ofyears now is that it's it's a
little bit easier for someone tomaybe listen to a podcast or
(21:27):
read your stories that you haveon there.
Uh, because it's not you have onthere, because it's not, it's
not really mostly in your face,it's mostly more of a, like you
said, it's just my story andlike, whether you like it or not
, it is my story and but peoplecan relate to that maybe a
(21:52):
little bit better.
And I'm seeing more people thatI that probably wouldn't call
themselves Christians or justkind of like trying to figure
out like what, what is thisJesus thing?
But when it's just someone'sstory, it's it's much more like
maybe relatable or easier todigest or, um, yeah, I just I
remember the apologetics and Iand I've gone to different
(22:14):
witnessing or testimonying orlike how do you, how do you
evangelize, kind of things.
You know, and I'm not sayingthat that might not work for
some people, but in a way Ithink it's it's almost made it
harder than it really needs tobe right.
Gabriela Gonzalez (22:29):
Like all important and they have their
place, but we have made this waymore complicated than it needs
to be, I think yeah, yeah, canyou, can you share on that a
little bit?
no, I mean, I really, I reallywant to hear.
The rest of your thoughts areinterrupted.
But I just like I, I fullyagree that.
(22:51):
I think that you know, we don'thave to do everything.
I think so much of our jobspiritually is to really just
introduce someone into just aninkling of who God is, to make
them just want to see orexperience or test that
(23:15):
themselves.
And I think sometimes in likechurch circles or just like we
are thinking of like all thesteps, like 20 steps right, like
all the way to baptism, likeand there's nothing wrong with
that, all those things areimportant, but just thinking
that, yeah, I think sometimes weunderestimate what God can do,
(23:37):
um, and that like it can also bea lot more organic.
There doesn't need to be I hateto use the word agenda, but for
lack of a better word, you feellike that sometimes, where you
feel like right right and you'relike, okay, relax, um, and so,
(24:01):
yeah, I mean, I just think thatlife, a spirit-led life, where
we are allowing God to to leadour walk and and who we cross
paths with, and all these things, it lends itself to a lot of
organic opportunities and andthere's no need for 20 steps.
All that's needed is just thecourage to share.
Nancy Bruscher (24:22):
Yeah, and I like what you said is we've made it
so much harder than it is when atestimony, a witness, is just
saying what God's done in yourlife, and I feel like that takes
the pressure off of someonetrying to learn what to say,
(24:42):
takes the pressure off ofsomeone trying to, like, learn
what to say, but then thatdoesn't seem like really, it
seems like too boxed.
You know, like do you say thatto every single person you meet?
you know, coming across as um,as someone, that someone can be
like oh you, you want to hearfrom me, you, you care about me,
you, you didn't just say thisexact thing, rote thing to every
(25:06):
, every person and and I don'tknow how much that that works,
and I think that's why we'reseeing a, I'm seeing a shift of
like, a lot of people tellinglike we have to tell our story,
we have to explain it in thisway, because this might be the
way that we can actually likeimpact the kingdom.
Gabriela Gonzalez (25:27):
Yeah, and I think that, going back to one of
the first points we made,that's why community is so
important.
When you mentioned like oh,this person cares, they want to
hear from me, I mean that's whatJesus said he wanted to see,
right.
I mean that's what Jesus saidhe wanted to see right.
(26:02):
Like us taking care of widows,and like this has been oversaid
and it sounds almost cliche, butit's true.
Like Jesus met people's needsfirst right.
And it's important that we can'thave one without the other.
And, to be honest, the meetingpeople's needs part takes work,
it takes relation, it takes time, it takes being inconvenienced
or whatever Convenience likethat's.
Those are the moments that lifeis actually made up of Right
and those are the moments where,like looking back when I
mentioned that I've also seencommunity come through for me in
a wild way.
It was inconvenient for someoneelse, it meant that person
cared, like those.
Those are the moments thatbecome the highlights of the, of
(26:24):
the testimony.
It's.
It's the really real, raw,unscripted moments, that where
we really open our hearts andand take a beat and pause and
see someone.
Everyone wants to be seen andthat magic Well, not magic in
the literal sense, but that wasthe beauty of who.
Jesus was right, like everyonewho came into his presence was
(26:47):
seen, and seen in a profound way, not in a judgmental way.
He saw their hearts and heinspired them to more.
And so I think that if Jesus isour example, that's what we
should be doing Like we need tostop and we need to look around
us.
And that can be hard because welive in a world with so much
distraction and it's just likego, go, go.
(27:09):
You know and I say that fullyacknowledging like you know,
there's times where the train isdelayed and you're like annoyed
but you just never know what'sbehind that and what the
opportunity is, and you have tostop, look up from your phone
and look around you Like there'sso many people who are hurting,
we are hurting, and if we'rehurting and we, we have faith
(27:29):
and we have God, and there's alot of anguish out there that we
can try to.
At least, even if we can'talleviate it, we can stand in
solidarity with people throughit yeah, I like what you said
and all that is like.
Nancy Bruscher (27:46):
I think sometimes all someone needs to
do is be seen and say, oh, youlike you actually asked how I'm
doing and you care, like I don'tget alone.
But that takes like looking atpeople and having more than two
seconds to say hey, you know,and actually taking time for
(28:07):
someone.
Gabriela Gonzalez (28:09):
Yeah, it's like it's simple but it's not
given everything that'scompeting for our attention.
It's like the most simple thing, but yet it's hard for us, and
so that's the interesting thingand it's yeah, we've made life,
just in general, morecomplicated.
It needs to be.
So it's like we're being calledto return to the simple and
it's like just look up, justlook at that person in front of
(28:29):
you, but that's right.
Nancy Bruscher (28:33):
I was just thinking isn't that what the
kind of the gospel is?
Is?
It's actually very simple.
Yeah, I know there's a lot oflayers, but at the very core of
it, love god, love others, yep,to actually live it out that's
because all the simplicity goesagainst our nature.
Gabriela Gonzalez (28:52):
I was listening to a pastor the other
day who was saying this, wherehe's like hope, despair,
negativity, that's easy.
That's easy because that's whatwe're wired for now, like being
sinful beings.
What's hard is love and hope,and, and again, it's so simple.
But because it goes against ournatural nature, it's hard.
(29:14):
And so it's like, yeah, thegospel is so simple, but it's so
hard because it goes againsteverything our nature wants to
do.
But that's, I guess, also theamazing thing is that we can't
take credit for it, because then, when we do live it out, it's
God in us.
And what greater privilege,right, like there's there's so
(29:36):
many phases where you gosomewhere to pray and and what
greater privilege that we have,god in us, like if we invite god
in us, like, and that's thesame power that you know we just
had easterly, that rose jesusfrom the dead.
Like it's god.
And I think again, we don'trealize what we have.
(29:56):
We, we minimize it, we box itin, we, we I don't know out a
script and and think about it ina certain way, but god is, is
beyond anything we can imagine,and jesus did things in such an
unconventional way.
He was always what peopledidn't expect.
He always did things in the waythat people felt was backwards.
(30:18):
And so, again, it simple, butit's not.
Nancy Bruscher (30:22):
Yeah, yeah, I was just thinking, and I told
this to someone a while, notvery long ago.
As I was saying, I wonder howimpactful community can be in
our life if I feel like theworld is telling us so badly not
to be.
And I was like, oh, I wonder, Iwonder, you know like how, how
(30:47):
much this really matters if it'sso easy not to like you know?
It's like, yeah, I don't know,go to that, I won't go to the
Bible study, I won't go to that,I got something else to do
today and it's like.
It's like, ooh, I wonder ifit's because it's really that
life changing.
Gabriela Gonzalez (31:05):
I think that's true.
I mean, we see that ineverything.
I think there's something tothat.
I think that we're always sortof there's a narrative trying to
lead us away from what we need,and that's where discernment
comes in.
That's why we have to be sorooted and in truth and in
knowing what god wants for us.
(31:25):
Because there is so much noiseand so many voices out there,
it's really easy to getsidetracked, whether it's out of
convenience, out of wantingsocial acceptance so much.
Right, that appeals to ourpride and just who we are as
humans.
But I think you're right.
I think, yeah, every time wesee something like that, I think
(31:47):
we're onto something, whenwe're like, hmm, what is behind
this?
This is important, right?
Nancy Bruscher (31:54):
Yeah Well, I cannot believe that.
Like 35 minutes has alreadygone by, so not fair.
We'll have to do this again.
But what is your favorite Bibleverse or story?
Gabriela Gonzalez (32:10):
I would say I have like two favorite stories,
one like Old Testament, one NewTestament.
I think in the Old Testament,my favorite is the story of the
three Hebrew boys who get throwninto the fire because they
refused to bow down.
I think that there is somethingwildly courageous about what
they did and just the way theysaid you know, even if God
(32:33):
doesn't intervene like, webelieve in this and this is our
conviction and I think that thisstory illustrates.
You know, everyone was there,all the people were there.
And I think that when thinkingabout stories, I think sometimes
, when we're going through verydifficult moments, god sets up
the story.
In the same way, he sets up aplatform where everyone is
(32:57):
watching.
And then, when you do something,where everyone is watching and
then when you do something, evenif you end up in the fire, it
gives the opportunity for peopleto then look into the fire and
be like I think I just saw Godin there with them and I find
that so powerful.
I love that story.
(33:17):
I love the faith, theconviction and, most of all, the
promise that he stands with usin the fire.
Um, and in the new testament, Iwould say the story of lazarus.
I am obsessed with that storyfor many reasons.
I obviously shows it's aforeshadowing of all that god
plans to do when he restores alland makes things right, this
(33:41):
promise of eternal life that he,you know it's only through him.
But I also see it as a reminderto us, just in this moment,
that God can redeem so much andresurrect so much, like there's
nothing impossible.
I think my favorite verse inthat passage is when Jesus tells
(34:02):
Martha did I not tell you thatif you believe, you would see
the glory of God?
That, to me, is something thatI often repeat to myself.
I think life is full of twistsand turns and don't get me wrong
really dark moments.
It gets dark and it gets bleak.
But he is life and he tells us.
(34:23):
If you believe, you will seethe glory of god, and I don't
know what that means in everysingle circumstance, but that's
a promise and and I, I love it,and I love the beauty of that
story um of dead, you know,coming to life, and so I'd say
those two stories are ones thatI always hold close to my heart.
Nancy Bruscher (34:44):
Oh, those are good.
What are you grateful for?
Gabriela Gonzalez (34:49):
Oh, wow, so much, so much, like so many
blessings, um and I mean nottruly like, as someone who you
know, again, I've had my ownjourney, um, I've I've
experienced, you know, family,you know tearing apart parents,
divorce, like housing,insecurity.
(35:09):
You know, like we all have likethis story and I I don't take
things for granted likeliterally every time I pay my
rent, I'm like thank you god,like for this roof over my head,
like just everything.
Time I pay my rent, I'm likethank you God, like for this
roof over my head, like justeverything.
I recognize his provision.
I feel so blessed beyond measure.
Like I look around, I'm like Ihave more than I could ever, you
know, have imagined in the past, and I think God gives to us so
(35:34):
we can be generous and give toothers, and so it's like like
I'm just grateful for so much myhealth, my family, um, I just
recently got married, so thatwas obviously a really big
moment, um, and a beginning of anew chapter, just everything.
(35:55):
And I'm also grateful for.
You know, I live in a verydifficult city.
I move around and work here, um, it's not the safest place, and
so, you know, I pray every timeI leave my house and and just I
have felt God's protection inso many ways.
Nancy Bruscher (36:12):
just I see it everywhere and so I'm just I'm
grateful that I'm just stillhere and despite the New York's
been good to me, and you know,family health can't ask for more
you coming on and sharing yourstory and we will link modern
(36:43):
witnesses because I know thatpeople are going to want to look
at that and find more storiesand then hopefully tell their
story.
Gabriela Gonzalez (36:47):
I would love that, and we have like a little
tab where it says get noticed.
So if you would like to shareyour story affirmatively like,
please drop us a note there.
Again, so excited to run yourstory and I've just been so
honored.
Thank you, this has been such abeautiful conversation.
I've been blessed by it.
So thank you so much for havingme.
Nancy Bruscher (37:06):
It means a lot, thank you At Ordinary People
Extraordinary Things.
We would love your prayers andif you'd like to take it up a
notch, would you consider beingon our prayer team?
Visitgenerations2generationscom and
under the podcast tab you willfind a place to join our prayer
(37:27):
team.
When you join our prayer team,you will get an email every
other week on how you canspecifically pray for ordinary
people extraordinary things,where your story is His glory.
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