Nehemiah starts with an ordinary man living an ordinary life and a simple question about how his people are doing leads to devastating news: God’s people are vulnerable, God’s city lies in ruins. In turn, Nehemiah’s heart is broken.

But instead of becoming cynical or critical, Nehemiah turns to God. He weeps, he mourns, he fasts, and he prays. His disruption becomes an awakening—a moment where God shakes him in order to shape him.

From Nehemiah’s story, we learn how God often uses what disrupts us to awaken us.