There is so much beauty in the pueblo (town) where I live: it sits on a hillside overlooking a vast, mountain-rimmed valley with wide open spaces, abundant olive trees, and the ancient port city of Malaga, Spain. Just about anywhere in the pueblo you can find a good, strong (and cheap!) cup of coffee, and the Spanish specialty churros and chocolate never disappoints. However, just below the surface, there is a lot of pain and suffering. Some of this goes back to the isolationism and fear of being open and honest during the fascist Franco dictatorship (1936–75); other roots are more cultural.
I have gotten a good glimpse of this cultural dynamic while volunteering in the “clothes closet” at a local charity. The volunteers, almost entirely women, often come in heavy-laden. In response, my friend who directs this arm of the charity and I decided to start a weekly women's breakfast group. We named it Refugio (refuge), praying that it would be a place where these women could come and share openly about their lives and receive a touch from God. Our desire was to create a place inhabited by the Holy Spirit where they could meet with Jesus, perhaps for the first time.
During the first several months of the group many different women came—but only one woman would show up each week. We were a bit disappointed, having envisioned a larger group dynamic. But then we saw God’s beautiful purpose for this intimate space unfold—each time just one woman came, she ended up sharing deeply, crying, and then as we prayed, would sense God’s presence and healing touch. God knew just what each woman needed and I think he was thrilled to bless them. That’s what Refugio is really about.
My friend and I don’t actually do much; we just create the space and God shows up and does his awesome thing. We usually read a passage from the Bible, share authentically from our own lives, listen, and spend time praying. And we bathe it all in prayer, boldly asking God to manifest his presence and bless however he sees fit.
The women who have come to know Jesus in this group haven’t found him because of our great teaching or leading ability. Rather, it’s through our dependence on God’s beautiful plans and purposes for them—and because of our conviction that God truly wants to do more for the women in our community than we can ever hope or imagine. I’m receiving from God in the group right alongside the other women. As leaders, my friend and I come to the Fountain of Life with our needs, and invite our friends to come with us. And he shows up. He is safe and he cares. He is trustworthy and powerful.
When I think about how God has shown up in powerful ways through Refugio, one woman, Mary (not her real name), comes to mind. Mary came to the group in a needy, broken place and was not a follower of Jesus. She was struggling financially and was socially isolated without family support or connection. Mary attended Refugio regularly. She came vulnerably and received greatly. Mary continues to live in challenging circumstances but she is filled with hope and gratitude for the ways God has powerfully entered into her world and answered prayers. Her beautiful prayers speak to the miraculous and deep ways a relationship with Jesus completely transformed her life. Every time she prays she spends a lot of time thanking God for how he has changed her life and given her a new hope and joy. It’s precious. God has literally given her “a new song to sing” (Ps. 40); she has written it down and recorded it and recently shared it with us. Here is a translation into English of a couple of my favorite lines:
Don’t lose hope in your journey,
Trust will bring peace,
Oh my brother/sister, stop doubting,
Keep the flame burning,
And shine! Rise up and shine! Shout loudly!
And experience the greatness of God!
It Takes Vulnerability to Encounter God
Have you ever considered how Jesus made himself vulnerable to reach us? It’s how he came to earth; it’s also how he died. And we encounter Jesus personally in and through our own vulnerability. Our vulnerability opens space for us to receive from Jesus and tangibly experience our God who powerfully restores and redeems. I believe this is what Jesus was getting at when he said we must become like children to receive the Kingdom.
Because of my time in Refugio, I’ve been thinking a lot about vulnerability in ministry, particularly in outreach to those who are not yet believers. All of us long for and need safe places to be honest and share vulnerably, and so few of these spaces exist here in Spain (even counseling services are limited, and are largely stigmatized). I’ve felt for some time now that here in this context God is going to meet people and reveal who he is in and through their pain. Our relational God who comes close is precisely what people are desperate for in a world increasingly lonely and disconnected from relationships of depth.
Those of us who know Jesus and are on mission for others to know him have a great opportunity before us. People in our ministry contexts may need an invitation into a safe space—a relationship of trust—that gives them permission to have courage, be honest, and vulnerably wait to receive from Jesus.
As ministers of the good news, we too need to embrace our vulnerability. So many verses speak to God’s power and purposes being displayed in and through our vulnerability and limitations. We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing greatness comes from God (2 Cor. 4); let us embrace our weakness all the more so that Christ’s power may work in and through us (2 Cor. 12). Perhaps we need to press more into being real, accessible people, through whom others can encounter Jesus. This may mean listening a lot more and not always being in the teaching position with all of the answers. It may look like putting ourselves out there a bit, creating a space for others to gather, initiating, taking some relational risks, being vulnerable and open ourselves. And in order to do that, we need to invite God into the deeper areas of our own lives to continue to transform us into safe people. I know I desperately need and yearn for God to continue this transformative work in me.
The world needs safe spaces to be vulnerable and encounter God. People need our willingness to be open and vulnerable with them. This is a powerful place of ministry, something our world is hungry for.
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Help us to open spaces in our communities and contexts for you to do that beautiful thing that you do: perfect your power in our vulnerability and make all things new.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melinda Talley and her husband Matthew have lived near Malaga, Spain, with their three sons for more than four years. The Talleys serve with Novo’s Ethne collective. Melinda has a background as a therapist. She loves nature, a good cup of coffee or tea with a pastry, and looks forward to exploring the beautiful cities of Spain and Europe when her kids are a little older.