Briauna’s mom had attended The Salvation Army programs, so it was important to her that her kids have that same experience. Briauna and her sister, Destiny, got involved quickly: Sunbeams, Junior Soldiers, Singing Company, etc. The Salvation Army became Briauna’s home; it’s where she met Jesus. Since coming to know Jesus at such a young age, Briauna felt that she didn’t have much of a story or a dramatic testimony like others. “I think that is just a testament to God’s faithfulness in my life and in my family’s life,” Briauna says, “I have always had The Salvation Army to grow in and rely on.” Though she didn’t experience trauma or a rebellion, Jesus’s work in her life wasn’t any less real.

Then, Briauna set off to attend college to pursue her degree in music education. For the first time, Briauna was in a new church environment. Outside The Salvation Army life, Briauna questioned what was important to her and who she was in Christ. She began to see and understand that her relationship with Jesus was based on church programs rather than on a daily walk with Him. “I was always like, ‘Oh, I am in everything at the corps (church), (I’m) there pretty much every day, so I’ve got this Christian walk down.’” God revealed to her that, while participation in church and programs are important, they aren’t the same as having a relationship with Him. Those things come out of the relationship, but they aren’t the basis for it. This realization led her to a deeper understanding of what it really meant to walk with God. She began to look at life as an act of worship and so, she grew deeper with Him. As someone who finds their identity in achievement, this was a major shift in Briauna’s view of her faith. It wasn’t always about the doing, the attending, the busy—it was about finding her identity in Him.

This past spring, Briauna received her bachelor’s in music education and is starting her new job as an elementary school music teacher this fall. The Salvation Army introduced music into Briauna’s life through summer band camp and now, Briauna is investing in young people the same way by taking those experiences into the world to change the lives of kids in her community.

Briauna’s favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:38-39. “I was just overwhelmed by the thought that there is absolutely nothing that can separate me from Him,” she says. “Not things I have done, things I haven’t done. His love for me is unchanging.”

We’d love to hear what God’s doing in your life! Submit your story at peermag.org/ contribute.