It’s been an amazing weekend. A-MAZ-ING. Incredible. Beyond description. More than I could have hoped for.
And God met me here.
This morning (well after the aerobics class that Tamra and I were the ONLY ones to show up for!) we enjoyed a time of worship. Our awesome praise team led us in a time of celebration and praise through music. That alone was well worth the price of admission.
Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better…well, it did. We had a time of communion, of personal introspection and meditation. The communion elements were laid out in the back of the room, and as we were ready, we took our portion individually.  Women moved about the room, some by themselves, some with a friend or two, praying, seeking, confessing, worshipping. There was a wooden cross on a stand at the front of the room. I took my communion elements and sat at the foot of the cross as I reflected on Christ’s sacrifice for me. The empty cross was a reminder that His work wasn’t finished at His death, but rather the resurrection, but the cross was also a reminder of the pain and suffering he bore on my behalf. Other women joined me, some knelt in view of the cross, others stood at a distance…but we all shared the same sense of awe, of gratitude, of complete and utter devotion to our Heavenly Father. It was powerful and profound…difficult and moving…but yet joyous and hopeful.
We also had the opportunity to share testimonies of what God had done through this weekend. Several women from our spanish fellowship stood and shared (through translators) how God was healing them. To hear them say, “Yo soy secondo!” with such conviction and joy was truly overwhelming. Several times the room erupted in shouts of joy and praise with us standing and applauding our awesome God. And though none of us truly wanted the weekend to end, we knew it was time to return to our lives, our families, and the work God had called us to.
It was like the last day of summer camp as we all said our goodbyes and took pictures with the various groups we had formed over the weekend:
The “yes-we-dragged-ourselves-out-of-bed-on-a-rainy-Sunday-morning-to-work-out-and-we-were-the-only-two-who-did-and-boy-wasn’t-Amy-happy” gang. Don’t we look so strong?
First, my small group friends. I didn’t know most of these women before the retreat. The only one I knew at all was Mary (in the pink jacket in the back) – and only because we shared a ride on the way up! But as we shared our hearts, our stories, and our struggles, we were truly bonded together and challenged to allow God to overwhelm us with His love, mercy, and strength.
And then there were my cabin mates – the Chik 1 Chicks, or as we liked to call ourselves, the #1 Chicks! Most of these women I knew from my very first Bible study at McFBC in the spring of 2008. That Bible study had such a deep impact on my life – not only because of the biblical content but also because of the way God knit our group together in such a dynamic way. I have been overwhelmed with admiration for these sisters and the struggles they have faced. Each one is beautiful and precious to me because of the testimony they bear and the way they strive to put God first and honor Him in all they do.
And then there are my life group homies. What a great bunch of ladies they are! This group has been such a great fit for Matt and me, and our children as well. Many of the men in this life group are or have been part of the Band of Brothers men’s Bible study group that Matt attends. It’s been such an inspiration to see how these men take their responsibilities as husbands, fathers, and spiritual leaders seriously. It’s been a blessing to watch them sharpen one another, and to share as wives in our efforts to serve and support our husbands. I’m so grateful for these friends and the bond we share together.
As I left the retreat, I was overwhelmed once more. What I had prayed for, what I had longed for – to find a friend – was never more evident. I have friends. I have a whole community of people who genuinely care about me, who enjoy being around me, who make me laugh and who inspire me to live beyond myself.
Yes, this was truly a weekend of being overwhelmed with extreme love and extravagant worship.