Morning Reflections

-from our women’s retreat-

There is an incredible power in releasing everything to the Lord. This morning I woke up so ready to reflect on our weekend women’s retreat.

I kept warning everyone to have no expectations yet even I had to work hard at letting mine go.

With not having a tight schedule or precise agenda I often wondered what we might do and if we would get bored.

But making room for the Lord allowed Him to fill it with Himself.

No one led in worship. Yet I watched the Lord start slowly delivering one heart after another.

He brought His messages through his people without anyone at all having to “lead.” The body was working together and functioning according to their divine design.

Instrumental music made room for prophetic outpouring, no time restraints made room for Him to give someone His Word and heart to share. We rushed nothing.

We had to stop shortly to acknowledge the walls felt in the Spirit and get honest about truly entering into the heart of God or just going through the motions.

God caused the numb places to live again, the dead to rise from graves and visions came forward of cemeteries with graves flying open.

Life abundant was starting to bloom again. Woohoo!

The Lord spoke to the little girls to come climb back in His lap again and receive His goodness.

Sigh… how lovely is the Lord.

Intimacy was a common theme in our conversations as the Lord healed deeply wounded places. Hopelessness gave way to dreaming again and we celebrated, and acknowledged, every small victory of watching how God orchestrated breakthroughs in ways only He could.

It was evident while I had no plan, He did and He surely had some doozies planned that caused us all to weep at times.

We got to baptize one of our own flock and rejoice together as a family. What a moment!

I saw God make lasting friendships with unique hearts. I watched the mamas in the room tending the others.

We had time for naps. Time for walks. Time for games. Time for talks.

He provided us with the most beautiful, private place to come away with Him.

Shepherd’s Pasture was full of the glory of God. The beauty of His majesty. Glimpses of His presence all around us. We spent time with the loveliest servant-hearted people called to serve the body, were fed over the top with food we only dreamt of, and had every kind of tucked away place to sit and visit you could imagine.

Our accommodations were fabulous, offering a family atmosphere for visiting around kitchen tables, conversing in living rooms, and plush day rooms where we “processed together all that needed to be talked through.”

And yet God poured Himself into us more than ever before. The fruit was more than we could think or imagine.

Less from us meant more from Him.

We were all sad to pack up and leave but we left with healed hearts, new plans for ministry, new dreams in tow, and the next retreat planned before we all got back home.

And where we all arrived somewhat weary, perhaps, with burdens by the to-dos of the world…today we rise with a new pep in our step….

Because we had the high honor of spending the weekend without distractions with our King…

And He is faithful to restore and renew. Rebuild and redo, all the while giving us rest.

And all of “that”
He surely did!