A reflection of gratitude from Psalm 24

Last year at this time, I sent out an email inviting authors to join me for a virtual writing retreat.  The Lord sent me several amazing women.  Over the course of the year, we got to know one another. We shared writing, stories, and prayers. Then, we decided to meet. One meeting turned into an entire prayer retreat.

Friday afternoon, I got to hug their necks for the first time. To say that the Small Beginnings Prayer Retreat was a success would like saying Mount Rushmore is a scupture. I felt like a child at Christmas.  I’d prayed and hoped and talked about the retreat for months. The women sitting in front of me Friday night was the most beautiful sight to behold.

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?

Who may stand in His holy place?

We sang in the chapel and the sound of our voices echoed through the stained glass. No microphones. No symphany of instruments.  Just beautiful praise. Gratitude poured out of my eyes for days. Still does. 

There is no greater joy than beholding the answer to a prayer.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to host the retreat. I’m thankful for the uneasy feeling that came when we didn’t know if it was even a good idea. That unstable gut-wrench that follows writing a check for a deposit before anyone has signed up. The plans and preparations and the prayer meetings over zoom. The long-distance to-do lists and phone calls. I’m thankful for the headaches before we left and terrors that tried to get us to call it off. 

Because Jesus showed up. He poured out His spirit on us. He brought healing, deliverance, and commissioning. 

They will recieve a blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. 

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.

I appreciate all of your prayers over the event. We had a wonderful time. There are discussions about doing it all agin next year. I’ll keep you in the loop with details as they become available. 

In the meantime, you can enjoy a book of prayers compiled by our speakers and friends.