Why go to a women’s retreat? What’s the point? Is it really only to get away for a weekend or is there a deeper reason?
Women’s retreats can be a great place to get a break from your families, a time to hang out with friends, a time to hear from great speakers, but beyond these I think there can be something deeper to be found.
Soul Care:
When was the last time you thought about the condition of your soul? Even Jesus realized how important soul care is.
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).
Jesus, himself, knowing all that needed to be accomplished went away to a solitary place to find rest for His soul and to spend time with His Father.
In his book How’s Your Soul, Judah Smith says: “Where can your soul find healing and wholeness? Who is the source of ultimate fulfillment? How can you navigate this unpredictable and often painful life? The answer is God, who reveals His love and grace towards us through Jesus. He is your hope, and He is health for your soul. Come to Him.”
Retreats create space for you to get away and care for your soul. You can’t continue to pour out into your families and your ministries if you aren’t taking time to be poured into.
You are not alone:
So many of us can get caught up in the lie that we are alone in what we struggle with. This is a lie. The enemy wants to keep us isolated so we believe this lie. It’s so easy nowadays with social media, we look at everyone’s highlight reel and believe that they have it all together and we are the only ones with messy lives. If we can spend time with other women, take off our masks and be honest about what we are struggling with, not only will we know we aren’t alone, it will set us on the road to freedom. It’s time to get honest about our junk. Telling our story will not only bring freedom in our own lives, it will help someone else feel less alone. And an added benefit, after you’ve shared your heart with someone, it gives them the room to be honest too and you guys can then pray for each other.
“Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live whole and healed” James 5:16
Karrie Garcia, founder of Freedom Movement said “When we come out of hiding and get honest with ourselves, God and a trusted friend, we are building up an army to fight the forces in our life that are keeping us stuck. Secrets keep us locked up. They allow the lies to fester and become truth. I can’t reiterate this enough: when thoughts are left unspoken, it allows lies to swirl around in our heads, causing us to be in bondage from the power they hold in our minds. The moment we confess our secrets, we shed light on the darkness they bring. Lies must be exposed, or they will continue to have too much power in our lives.”
Go on that retreat and spend time alone with your Father, worship him and spend time listening to Him. And then go spend time with other women. Be you, take off your mask, don’t try to pretend like you’ve got it all together. Tell your story. Not only will you benefit, but so will others.
