The longer I live, the more I have witnessed the power of vulnerability and authenticity in relationships. When we are willing to share our true selves with others – our fears, our scars, our struggles – we can unlock the potential for deeper and more fulfilling connections the way I believe God intended.
This is one of the main things that drew Britton and me to Kairos. From our first visit it was clear that this is a community that values openness and personal truths, no matter how “ugly” they might seem. Kairos provides an environment that is safe for us to bare our wounds in order to find lasting healing through fellowship in Christ.
Nowhere has this been more evident to me than on the Women’s Retreat. I have been profoundly moved the last two years by the way so many women have opened up and shared their life experiences, their pain, their hopes, and encouraged and supported each other in the process. I have never seen a group so wholeheartedly embrace a practice of genuine authenticity. These weekends have been inspiring and restorative for me on so many levels.
During last month’s retreat, our speaker Mazi Robinson began the Saturday evening session by saying that she had gone back and forth about whether to share a particular story from her life as part of the message, given how deeply personal and painful it was. Ultimately she decided she should, to illustrate an example of God calling her out of darkness into a new stage in her life. You could hear a pin drop as Mazi spoke of a volatile, toxic romantic relationship that consumed a chapter of her life. My heart nearly stopped – she described exactly the pain I endured in an abusive relationship in my late twenties. Through her honesty in those few moments, Mazi helped me to process something I had been struggling with for years: the deep shame I felt about this relationship, and my subsequent divorce. In bravely sharing how she felt God work in her life even in the darkest moments, she allowed me to finally realize God’s presence in the darkness I experienced. As much as the relationship took from me, the Lord has given me infintely more ever since. As Mazi so eloquently put it, it was the gateway to the rest of my life. I told Mazi that if she wondered whether it was the right decision to share her story, she need look no further than me. Her honesty and openness touched me deeply, and I sincerely believe it was God’s way of bringing healing to my heart.
Since that weekend I have returned over and over to 2 Corinthians 12:9
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Each of us is blessed to be the recipients of God’s grace, no matter our weaknesses and mistakes. And I feel especially blessed to be a part of the Kairos community, where we can share our true selves, learn from one another, and grow together.
– Elizabeth Burdette