Serving God on a Spiritual Retreat Weekend

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; nor slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.                                                                                                                        Romans 12:10

 For even the son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.                                                                                                                           Mark 10:45

I was asked by my former Pastor’s wife to serve on a kitchen team.  I was one of four who prepared meals for the weekend for sixty women.  This was way out of my comfort zone.  I didn’t even like to cook but just did it as a labor of love for my family. Each weekend had a pin to be worn at all times and a bible verse prayerfully selected.  The pin was a pitcher and bowl with a towel draped over it and the verse was Mark 10:45.

It was a difficult time for me because I knew I was going to resign my full time job shortly and hopefully for good.  The tension at work was almost unbearable and it made me extremely nervous.  I prayed about the opportunity and asked the Lord how in the world I could find the time or energy to do it?

 I had a strong impression that if I wanted to continue serving Him, He would give me the time and energy.  I was right!  Thursday when I arrived at the retreat there was a double rainbow over the entire campus.  This was my special, personal promise from the Lord.  It wasn’t an easy weekend but it was worth it because I sensed I had pleased Him. 

Prayer: Forgive me Lord, sometimes I forget who you are.

Thought: Does the Lord stretch our faith in areas where we are not gifted or perceive ourselves as effective to show us we can do anything with His strength? Push yourself beyond your comfort zone and watch the Lord supply whatever you need.

Answered Prayer at Every Point of Need

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.                     Matthew 21:22

Therefore I say unto you.  What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.                                                                                                     Mark 11:24

We began seeing a woman psychologist during the summer and I found her manner much kinder and calmer.  Jonathan tolerated her much better and wasn’t as fearful.  She educated us on OCD and all its ramifications.  I racked my brain for things that would be joyful for Jonathan and our family as a whole.

We told the boys they could have a dog for Jonathan’s birthday if they cleaned out the dog house in the back yard.  It was done within the hour.  Mark went to the dog pound close to our home and reserved a dog.  I prayed for a medium sized, short-haired, low maintenance puppy.  Mark came home and said, “He is there!”  Chester was a source of joy and love until the day we put him down at fourteen with bone cancer.  He was my walking partner for thirteen years.  The power of prayer was daily reinforced in our lives.

Prayer: Praise your holy name and help me understand how much you love each of us.

Thought: Are things that might seem trivial to others a priority for the Lord to build your faith?  Pray believing and watch the Lord answer specifically and immediately!
 

Obsessive /Compulsive Disorder (OCD), a New Prayer Challenge

 My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word.                         Psalm 119:28

 For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…                                                                    Isaiah 30:15

The tuition of private school increased every year and frankly, Mark and I could not see the advantages of keeping the boys there.  We transferred them to our neighborhood public school.  Mrs. G. was exceptional and very compassionate concerning Jonathan’s strange behavior.  She noticed that he was washing his hands excessively; they were chapped almost to the point of bleeding.  We had no clue why he felt compelled to wash them repeatedly.  We sought professional help.

Our pediatrician referred us to a psychologist and psychiatrist with good reputations in the community.  Jonathan was diagnosed with OCD and put on Anafranil.  Changing drugs is always a nightmare, especially when none of us wanted him on any drug.  But, praise God, this drug actually helped. 

Jonathan disliked and was very fearful of both the psychologist and psychiatrist and I must say they were stern and showed no compassion.  When Jonathan was fearful or insecure he became combative and rude rather than trying to hide as he former had.  We learned to pray for wisdom and never go by referral or reputation.  We sought another psychologist as soon as we could arrange it.    

                                                                                                                               
   Prayer: Lord why do these professionals think fear and intimidation will help Jon?

Thought: Does God allow “professional” or secular wisdom to fail so we will, once again, return to Him?  Dependence on and obedience to God is a far superior wisdom.  
 
 
 

Revelatory Understanding of Prayer Coverage
 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.  Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light…                                                                                                                                                     Colossians 1:10-12

Mark’s brothers left the family company due to irreconcilable differences in management and started their own competitive electrical companies.  Mark and I, and his parents were left with a huge business debt.  Life continued to be very difficult.

Mark was asked to serve on a team to lead the next spiritual retreat weekend.  This involves months of team meetings and a weekend Thursday night through a Sunday night at a retreat center nearby.  It was always a growing, deepening spiritual experience for anyone who participated.  I enjoyed serving on teams more than my original weekend, which is saying a lot!  It is such a blessing to watch others experience God’s love as you did!
Serving is voluntary, labor intensive, and requires sacrifice from the spouse at home.  Everything is done for the glory of God and as well as time and energy allows.  There is always a 72 hour prayer vigil for every hour of the weekend.  There is a prayer chapel manned the entire time by at least two people and an ordained minister stays with the group at the retreat location.

 We learned prayer is the engine or strength of any ministry.  We believed that it was what made the retreats so spiritually powerful.  Over the years we participated in almost every capacity in serving and watched immediate answer to prayer.  There were salvations, healing, deliverance, and flat out miracles! 

Prayer: Thank you Lord for growing our faith through the experience of answered prayer!

Thought: Does recognition of and participation in prayer protect events from the evil one and invite the power of the Holy Spirit?  I would lovingly challenge any Christian to participate in such an event and not experience the awesome power of the Triune Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) through prayer.

A Secondary Cloud on the Horizon

 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.                                                       James 1:3-4

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.                     Galatians 5:22

It was the school year of 1991-92 and the boys were, for the second and last time in their lives, on the same campus for the whole year.  Bobby was in the fifth grade and Jonathan in the second.  Jonathan’s teacher was young, pretty, kind, and compassionate but she didn’t have a clue about how to manage him.  The only suggestion we got from the school staff was to increase his Ritalin and we did over the year until he was lethargic and spacey and that was unacceptable to me.  It never resolved his inability to sit still or stay on task.

At Christmas, we still tried to maintain the allusion of Santa Clause with half-eaten cookies, sooty boot prints, and this year, red flannel bags filled with unwrapped presents.  Little did we know Bobby had already spilled the beans to Jonathan but they went along with it for one more year. 

Jonathan appeared to be developing a new idiosyncrasy that I had not seen before.  He didn’t want anyone, including me to kiss, hug, or even touch him.  He seemed very irritated and confused about this but extremely adamant.  At one point he put the red flannel bag over his head and asked for a hug and that was the only way anyone could touch him.  I called him the little red monster that needed a hug.  It broke my heart but at least I could show him some much needed affection.  We were mystified at this behavior.  I wept many tears and asked the Lord what this could be. 

  Prayer: Jesus this breaks my heart and lets me know how you hurt when we refuse your love.

Thought: Once again the only answer to our pain and the only way to regain any peace was to turn to the Father. Trust the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to get through each day.  Wake up each morning with prayer and end each night in peace.
 
 

Bible Study Becomes a Necessity for Daily Living

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.                                                    John 16:33

 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.                                                                                         I Peter 2:2-3

The book of John was the subject of our bible study the second year.  The deep emotional strengthen in John, the Lord’s “most beloved disciple”, ministered to me.  I was working full time, we had put Jonathan on Ritalin for Attention Deficit Disorder, Bobby was right on the border of being hyper-active, we were trying to maintain a summer home, and the family business was turbulent; life was difficult and hectic.

I attended bible study at night with an hour and a half commute.  Every week I was tempted to skip because I was so exhausted but the Lord’s loving hand revived my soul in such a way that I could not.  Every week I struggled to do my homework, but found that time so uplifting and restorative.  The words and thoughts continued to leap off the pages of the bible and speak to daily problems.  My prayers were answered and I was encouraged in deeper prayer.  I began to see the power of these disciplines.  Finally, I was convicted to never miss bible study or fail to pray.  These were the saving graces of my life.

The next year (1989-90) we studied Israel and the Minor Prophets.  I had been warned that this required more time on homework, but seeing the connection of the Old and New Testaments was well worth the effort.  Studying about the nation of Israel and His chosen people opened a new dimension of love for the Lord and foundation to continue in His word.  Seeing the bible as a whole and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in the New Testament was revelatory.

Prayer: How can I express my gratitude for opening my eyes to your Word!

Thought: Don’t drop spiritual disciplines; they are necessary for true happiness and peace

The Power of Praise
 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.                                                                                                 Hebrews 13:15

We, as a family, joined Main Church and committed to the choir.  The first time I sang on a Sunday morning I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit stronger than I ever had.  There was a freedom and liberty to praise God in a way I had never experienced.  It was exhilarating and encouraging beyond my human understanding.  No matter how fatigued I was on Wednesday night for practice or on Sunday morning I came away excited and uplifted by the Lord.  I had been singing in choirs since I was fifteen but this was totally different.  It was not about me or my self-consciousness but about praising God for who he is and just forgetting myself or anyone around me.

Mark and I became involved in the spiritual retreat community and the once a month gatherings.  We participated in an impromptu choir.  Anyone who wanted to got together thirty minutes before the service and practiced.   People were always nervous, especially the musicians but miraculously at the last minute the sound came together and everyone was blessed.

I distinctly remember one month a family lost their father, tragically and they were attending the gathering.  One of his favorite anthems was The Majesty and Glory of His Name based on Psalm 8 in the Bible.  It was a very popular anthem in choirs at the time but required a large choir to sing it powerfully.  We debated if we should attempt it but the Holy Spirit just took over and we soared in the supernatural.  The family and everyone present still talks about that special anointing.  It is my favorite anthem to this day. 

Prayer: Lord what a blessing for each of us!

Thought: When we feel totally out of control and incapable of honoring God with our efforts, that is the time to give control to the Holy Spirit.  The Lord always desires our heart-felt praise.   Push through the idea of controlling the circumstance to let go and let God! 
 

The Lord will Address and Deal with Our Weaknesses

 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.                                               Philippians 4:13

 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.                       Proverbs 3:26

After the usual learning curve and having a full time schedule I began traveling to train and lecture on coding and DRG assignments.  I was a nervous wreck, but the Lord sustained me.  My worst fear was speaking in groups, much less teaching and lecturing.  The Lord placed me in a position where I had no choice but to rely on Him.  I learned the experiential way that He never fails.  My immediate supervisor had a very driven, competitive, exacting personality and at one point because she did not understand the nuances of my expertise wanted to fire me.  The Pastor’s wife who was older and wiser became my supervisor.

Everything about this job experience was a test of faith.  I knew just getting the job, the timing, the excellent perks, etc. were gifts from God.  Quitting because it was tough was not on my agenda.  And I learned the more I depended on the Lord and communicated with Him in prayer the more confident I became.  And much to my surprise I really could communicate well and even with a sense of humor to mainly nurses who disliked the information I was teaching.  I taught in-house, in several different cities, and lectured among colleagues!
The coding clerks had never been supervised because no one there had the expertise or experience and I discovered severe inconsistencies in their work.  I was made their supervisor within six months and received a raise. They were not happy and even sabotaged some testing that showed their inconsistencies.  Again this was not a pleasant work environment. 

Prayer: Father, I know you will sustain me and cause me to mature.
Thought:  The Lord puts us in tough situations to encourage maturity and to expose weaknesses that we must deal with.   Don’t run from a challenge or tough work environment just daily turn it over to the Lord in prayer.  He will sustain you!  The more insecurity you can leave with Him the more success He can give you.  Don’t depend on yourself or others just Him.

Bible Study Becomes a Priority

 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.                                                                                       II Timothy 3:16 

 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.                                 Proverbs 30:5

My knowledge of the Bible was scant and it became obvious as we served the Lord that it was an area I had to correct.  That insatiable hunger and thirst to know God better made it a priority.  I had heard of Bible Study Fellowship and the repetitive structure of that course, I believed, would help me retain what I learned.  Working part-time I could attend the weekly daytime meeting while the boys were in school.

The study was the book of Genesis that year.  What better place to start than at the beginning.  I did not realize it at the time but knowing the history of Genesis would be the essential foundation for further bible study.  The Lord knew and fashioned my steps to learning of Him and His Word.  It required a great deal of homework, but I delighted in it.
 
The Word came alive to me, answered daily questions, solved problems, and soothed negative emotions; in short, made life worth living!  The thrill of encouragement found in the Word was new to me and the best teacher is the Holy Spirit.  The others students were kind and hungry for the Word like me and the instructors were mature and wise.  I couldn’t wait for the weekly meeting, to listen and share what revelation the Lord had given me.

Prayer: Lord, I never imagined the excitement of solutions to all my problems are found in your Word!

Thought: A balance of prayer, bible study, and service ensures maturity as a Christian.  Take time to do all three and be ready for the awesome revelation the Lord will give you.
 

God‘s Plan for His Children
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son…                                                                                      Romans 8:28-29

 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.                                                             I Corinthians 2:9

Our small church had neither the teachers nor resources to challenge our boys spiritually.  I was so impressed with the child care at the day camp I used for the summer.  I began to consider moving our membership.  Even men worked at the day care center and were role models for boys; I had never experienced that before.  The church “happened” to be in the process of completing a family activity center for its congregation.  Mark and I visited the director and were impressed with his pointed questions concerning our salvation.  We knew there was a higher calling at this church than just physical fitness.

I visited the choir and heard the senior minister preach and was favorably impressed.  There were some aspects I didn’t care for but there is no perfect brick and mortar church.  The choir was huge and acted as a praise team with strong Holy Spirit inspiration.  It was thrilling and the presence of the Lord was tangible.  I talked with Mark and we visited the church together and prayed to make our decision.  The boys were already quite familiar with it, had made friends and knew some of the Sunday school teachers.

Prayer: Thank you for orchestrating all the pieces for our good and Your glory!

Thought: As we pray and study the Word God directs our steps and decision making process.  Is your life progressing in a positive way?  Look back and consider God’s involvement in each decision and give Him the credit and praise He desires!