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| One of our women worshiping on her knees |
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| Singing and praising God |
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| Singing and praising God |
I want to share with you a blog post from one of our volunteers who was attending Oasis for the first time. I could not have described last night any better.
My First Oasis
MARIA CIRILLO
The dictionary defines an oasis as “a fertile spot in a desert where water is found.” Oasis is Created’s dinner and time of worship and Bible study with vulnerable women we have formed relationships. I can’t think of a more fitting name: the living water of Jesus is present at Oasis, creating fertile ground for us to take refuge in.
It was my first time attending and I was slightly nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I’ve been on outreaches before but this would be different: much more one-on-one, a longer time period, intimate conversation. How would I react? What would I talk to them about? What would it be like?
Once again, the Lord opened my eyes and blew away all my expectations. The first thing I noticed was that it wasn’t awkward at all. It wasn’t like the ladies were thinking “oh here’s this new girl who’s part of the team ministering to us.” They simply welcomed me with open arms as a new friend. And I realized that I had been harboring a lot of fear and if I’m totally honest, preconceived judgments. I had an idea in my head of what these women would be like and I was completely wrong. They’re not just “women who were in bad situations,” they’re my sisters in Christ. They were no different than any other person I’ve ever met. It was like getting to know anyone else except they were totally open and honest with each other and the Lord. It was refreshing. Once I gave everything to the Lord and saw who they really are, the presence in the room changed.
Each one of my sisters filled me with such joy and showed me a new aspect of Jesus. The Created team showed me leadership and humility. The ladies that we serve showed me something I don’t think I’ve ever seen before: a total devotion to and awe of Jesus. Watching them worship God and hearing their thoughts and desire to know the Father more deeply was inspiring. I was amazed at their reverence and love of the Lord despite where they’ve come from. I could see the grace of God and the Holy Spirit in each of them uniquely.
I’m so thankful for God bringing this ministry into my life because I know that I’m learning more from them than I think they’ll ever learn from me.
“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your disesases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”- Psalm 103:2-5
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