Sister2Sister from Celeste
Be kind to one another,
Compassionate, forgiving each other,
just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
~ Ephesians 4:32
Greetings my dear sister!
I had just arrived at the Women of Hope Retreat and was unpacking my bag when I came across the little welcome gift from the Women’s Ministry Team, so thoughtfully placed on my bed there. Who doesn’t love a gift? I immediately sat down and started opening it!
Nestled among other treasures was a little decorative tin that says “Give It To God” on the lid and has a tiny notepad and pencil inside. Being a little nervous about the whole idea of ‘church retreat’ I penciled this quick prayer, “Lord, help me to settle in and not worry about noise or inconvenience, and be grateful that You are with me.” God hears our prayers, but sometimes His answers are not what we expect!
It’s been a long time since I’ve gone on a church retreat. At times it was fun, at times it was joyful. A couple times it was frustrating. We laughed and cried together. We hugged and held hands. Often, the presence of the Lord brought me to tears of awe and wonder. I learned some truth; about God’s Word, about my beloved sisters, and even some truth about myself! (That’s where the surprise comes in, lol)
The truth about myself isn’t new knowledge really, but in my everyday routine I think some not-so-nice truths about me have remained unchallenged because, to be honest, life pretty much goes my way these days. With most of my boys out of the house, I’ve forgotten how to get along with people that have thoughts and opinions contrary to my own! (I’m sorry!)
So, what did I learn? I learned that I need to be more gentle when interacting with my sisters. That you can’t be treated the same way as my direct, rough and tumble method of ‘correcting’ my five, fine sons with the ‘spoon of command’. Besides, who am I to correct? I’m not your mother!
I learned that my opinions, formed without knowing the circumstances of a person’s behavior, can be completely wrong. (What??) I have been reminded that, when a bunch of personalities and characters get together, I need to keep an open mind. My efforts to ‘encourage’ people to conform to some standard without a foundation of personal touch may make me come off as a little bossy, I think. Possibly.
I learned a lesson of forgiveness. I needed to apologize to one sister who I had offended. I knew I needed to, yet put off every opportunity the Lord gave me to do so, and He gave me many. I KNEW I had to do it…ugh, it was hard! Finally, in the last moments of the retreat, I approached her and told her that I was sorry that I had offended her. (I didn’t say IF I offended her because it was clear to me that I had) She was so gracious! She acknowledged that I had offended her and then forgave me immediately. I could tell that she meant it because she started smiling & laughing again! I was restored to my sister! That is what the family of God is all about!!
Lastly, I learned the crucial importance of supporting leadership. I took for granted that people in leadership positions were God’s chosen, powerful in spirit and might, to get the job done. But then, the image of Aaron and Hur, supporting the raised arms of Moses while the battle against the Amalekites raged. (Exodus 17:10-13) Being a participant in this retreat gave me a chance to observe and enjoy the fruits of the leaders’ hard work, but I hadn’t lifted a finger to bring it about.
It takes a lot of thoughtfulness, intention, cooperation, organization and work to make an event like this a success! As participants, we paid money for our room and board, we left gratuities to express our thanks, but now that I’ve experienced it, the collective volunteer (unpaid) hours and energy spent beforehand to make our experience as wonderful as possible far surpasses the sum handed over for our comfort and enjoyment. (There are jewels in your crown sisters!)
In the beginning, I prayed for myself. God answered by telling me to pray for those ministering to me. I learned how important it is to pray for our leadership here at Hope and any other ministries in our lives. To think before I speak. To be more empathetic. To encourage them, appreciate them and love more!.
Not one of us is perfect, yet, in Christ, God is kind to you, He is compassionate toward you, He has forgiven you.
Lord, let us be kind to one another, compassionate toward one another and quick to forgive each other….. And let it begin with me, in Jesus’ Name, Amen!
Can I get an Amen?
With love, your sister, Celeste