Post-Retreat Ponderings

Our women's retreat was this last weekend and it was so filled with so many things I'm not even sure where to start! I went up with the first team to help set up chairs and signs and such and to make sure things were in order for the rest of the ladies. Keep in mind, I had nothing to do with organizing this retreat - I was just an extra pair of hands. But even being there early was a fun time of fellowship. It is amazing to me that you don't really know these women we see every week until you help one of them when they're trapped by a stack of chairs!

The rest of the ladies trickled in and I helped show them to their rooms and helped carry luggage. I think that was the neatest way to start the weekend - serving others. That first evening session was so filled with information it was all I could do to just write it all down - I figure I'll actually process it all in the coming weeks. Then I was up until about 1 am chatting and rubbing shoulders with the most amazing women of GOD. How could I not realize how deep and wise these women truly are?

The next morning I dragged myself out of bed around 6:30 for the am devotion because I didn't want to miss A THING! (It was made a little easier by the fact that they provided an endless source of coffee.) And the devotion was worth it. A morning session followed by more fellowship - I realize that Sundays are not enough to get to know the true measure of these ladies!

We had another powerful evening session and, without too much detail, we helped each other spiritually strip off our pasts and wrong thinking patterns and clothe each other with the right kinds of GOD-ly garments. We could not have done this kind of re-dressing alone. We need each other. And I don't think we even realize how much we do.

So what have I brought home that will change the rest of my life? I wish I could answer that. I think trust for these other ladies is a start. I have been hurt by women in the past (for being natural nurturers, we can be very mean to each other!) I also think I will try to make time to spend with them outside of church. There just is too much going on at church to really relate to them in a genuine, all-the-way-to-the-core kinda way. And I think that once we all have these kinds of relationships in our church, this kind of unity, we will be a powerful force of love that will affect our entire community. Okay, so, I guess that's something pretty big, huh?