This is my favorite suitcase. No it's not still packed from a previous trip, it's actually packed for my trip to Texas, for my annual women's retreat. This is God's gift to me each year, for the past several. I have been to Jesus' lap so many times in the presence of these amazing sisters. This is where God will also share His plans for me, where He will speak openly and honestly about just the right stuff. These are the sisters that make me know I am "home," every time God walks me into their presence. I have honestly not felt like I was "home" since my dad died. But every single year, I get to enjoy that feeling of being "home." These women have never asked me to be something other than who I am. In fact, several have told me directly to be exactly who I am because God made me just perfect. This always brings tears of joy to my eyes and I know that God made these sisters, just for me. One of the best parts about these amazing encounters with my sisters and our Savior is that every year God brings new sisters and they become part of "home."
God brought me to my first retreat with this wonderful and faithful ministry, MYRRH Ministries in Fort Worth, with a woman I barely knew. I flew for the first time in too many years to count, to Texas and joined a group of women I had never met. The retreat wasn't there, it was in Georgia. So what does a group of women, most of whom didn't know each other, do to get from Texas to Georgia...yep a road trip. Since that first retreat, God has taken me to 3 others...from Fort Worth, to Georgia and the beaches of Florida where I was re baptized in the beautiful ocean with several other sisters.
These women are a great example of living God's Word out loud. They don't pretend to love God, or to never have struggles with sins, they trust God to use their stuff to teach others. The best part of that is, that I can just live God out loud, I don't have to try not to offend. I know that is part of the reason God keeps taking me back, to teach me that I was not made to be subtle. He purposely created me to be BOLD for Him. He teaches me more and more every time. This is a great reminder for me...
Each and every year God meets me there. He comes to refill my dehydrated spirit with joy and also to ignite the sparks of the flames He's already lit. He knows what He's doing when He brings each sweet sister and places us all exactly where He knows we will find Him. God has spoken about some painful and heartbreaking things through these sisters and He's also poured out His perfect peace and comfort in the hugs of just the right ones. I am more than grateful for these days in His presence with the amazing women He surrounds me with...this year is even more of a gift...I will get to celebrate my birthday with them, for the first time ever!!! I am overjoyed at the thought of just breathing in God's Spirit and power with so many women of Christ!
I'm also so ready for whatever He wants to teach me and the release it brings me. God is preparing me for something, I have felt it for a while...I don't know what it is, but I know it's for Him and I know He will move mountains for not only me...but others too.
The count down is on...I'll be landing in Texas in 9 days...
No comments:
Post a Comment