Leading a retreat is a gift like none other one can experience. You get to witness so many souls on all different levels of their journey come into the beginning of the retreat with a mixture of apprehension, excitement, possibly some anxiety and spiritual thirst. To watch these souls abandon the world around them and enter into a sacred place with full abandon to meet God face to face is intoxicating.
After the day, two days or even three days of spending this one on one time with God these souls exit this quick amusement ride on their spiritual journey often feeling elated, free, worthy, strong, courageous, ready to shine light into the darkness they had shed at the door.
Naysayers who have never been on retreat (especially a 2-3 day retreat) would try to argue that there is no way a transformation could take place in such a short time. I say to them – try it. Take away all the distractions that take your focus off of God (computers, TV, cell phones, gossip, family drama, etc) and you come to find that in that silence you can actually hear His voice, and feel his heartbeat in his embrace.
We call this the ‘mountaintop experience’. Many can stay in this renewal for a while before the enemy breaks through the spell with the distractions and others find they have to head right back into battle the minute they leave the retreat grounds, but either way they are RENEWED and ARMORED with God’s word, mercy and grace.
Starting tomorrow I have the honor of co-directing an ACTS retreat for the women of my parish. The greater gift to me is that my MOTHER is coming on this retreat and she has never been on retreat. I have created, implemented and directed 100’s of retreats but I can tell you I am most excited about this one. 🙂 I get to serve my mother in a way that gives me the opportunity to say THANK YOU for having me, THANK YOU for raising me and leading me in the way I should go, THANK YOU for loving me through the hard times and THANK YOU for being my friend.
Pray for us. For ALL of us. There are 40 retreatants and 40 team members. 😉 This retreat is about the gift of service and learning to receive, to receive His love and our love.
There are many aspects of the retreat I won’t be able to divulge in a recap but I will offer you the way in which I know God will show up throughout the retreat when we get back next week.
Blessings
Shannon