I speak often at women's retreats, but it never gets old or routine. All are good, but this past weekend was special. We met at a conference ground east of Redding and this retreat was to be the last one the grounds would host since they were turning the camp into a full time boarding school for troubled boys. Knowing it was the last weekend made it special to the camp employees and we all chose to strive to help them end well.
That alone was reason to praise God for a good weekend, but He had much more in store for us. I had met with the retreat team two times and been in constant email communication with them for months. The last time we met, I asked them if they planned to come home from the retreat unchanged. All said NO! They wanted to be changed and began praying that way for all the women. The way had been prepared for the Holy Spirit's work and hearts were changed as early as the first night.
Like most retreats that I do, we have small group time after the sessions. I prepare the questions and they spend about 15 - 20 minutes getting to know each other better and talking about the session. Friday night they were still going 45 minutes later. The women were sharing and becoming transparent right off the bat! (This typically does not happen until after the Saturday a.m. session.) Saturday morning we had to make them stop so we could get to lunch. The afternoon free-time offered a great time of ministering of the ladies. Everywhere I looked gals were spending time encouraging others. It was beautiful.
By Saturday evening, we felt the Lord's leading to change the schedule up so there would be no interruption of the small group time. We started with the message, then worship, then communion and finished with celebratory worship which lifted the women to amazing praise for all the Lord had done in their hearts. Their final small group time allowed time to see where they had been, the change needed and the prayers and encouragement from their small group members to stand with them as God continued to work as they return home.
There were a couple of little things I brought to the retreat thinking it might be nice to do, but found God using it as breakthroughs for women. One "little" addition was a verse and prayer on a small piece of paper rolled up and tied like a scroll. (There were about nine different passages and a related prayer on each.) I asked the retreat coordinator just to put them on the ladies' chairs on Sunday morning. I was shocked and awed by what happened. Women came in, read their scrolls and were commenting and giving testimony that this verse and prayer was EXACTLY what they needed that morning. One woman said it was the verse she had been given at last year's retreat and someone a week before had quoted it to her again. She said, "No accident here! God wants me to know and believe His word." Another woman had sat in the same seat for each session, but Sunday morning moved to the next chair. The scroll on the new chair was God's message to her. Out of curiosity, she asked the woman in the other chair she had been in all weekend what her scroll verse and prayer were. It was NOT what she needed. God loved her so much, He even had her sit in another seat and gave her His individual word He prepared just for her.
The theme of this weekend was "got love?" God showed His love afresh to all to the point where each of the women attending, if asked if they "got love?" would say, "Oh, yeah!" This was indeed a special women's retreat.
