I snuck off to the Kairos womenās retreat a coupleĀ weekends ago. I donāt think Iāve ever missed it but this year I was particularly looking forward to it. For me, it was going to be a chance to take the diaper out of my purse and retreat from tasking and parenting. Anything else gained was going to be gravy. So, I departed Atlanta on my own schedule, drove solo with a podcast playing, pulled off for a Starbucks, and arrived in time to makeĀ LuperoĀ bracelets and visit fireside with friends. Then, we packed six ladies in a four-man booth for dinner and all tried to listen and partake in all conversations simultaneously. Perfection really.
Sorry fellas, but Maziās teaching is consistently amazing. And this year was no different. She talked about the power of a good story and encouraged us to get to know our own story a little more. To look at the struggle, the surrender, the redemption, the growth, and then to consider how we might use our story and that it might even have great purpose. My notes, taken furiously, say āthe reason we have been given a story is so that we can use it.āĀ To illustrate this message perfectly we got to hear from Miriamās sister Melissa who shared her story of being incarcerated and returning to freedom with amazing vulnerability and impact. Her story is painful, beautiful, broken and most remarkable to me was her relentless commitment to believe that God is using her story for goodness. Hearing from her was as incredible as it sounds.
Mazi also spoke a lot about sheep, I mean a lot ā¦ and, get ready for this, it was fascinating. We learned that sheep sometimes fall over aka ācast downā and cannot get up without the help of the shepherd. The shepherd has to get down, roll the sheep over, and massage its legs so that it can stand up again. This is the job of the good shepherd…to keep a close eye out for cast down sheep and then provide restoration. Heartwarming to me was this parallel that our father in heaven is attentively watching and ready to kneel into our filth to restore us whenever we are in need.
The cherry on top during the weekend was comic relief prior to each session provided by two grandmas Edna & Myrtle, roles played by our very own Lindsey Fluker and Christin Fejervary. Edna and Myrtle were the āInstagrammiesā and they claimed to put the āhipā in hip-replacement and the ācoolā in colonoscopy. They showed up in conservative floral nightgowns, danced with their canes and fragile backs, and conducted games and shenanigans. They even demonstrated the shepherd/sheep restoration I mentioned above…yep Edna on her back and Myrtle doing the massage. Their presence was brilliant, and it created loads of laughter that I suspect we all need more of. Please grab me for videos or photos of Edna and Myrtle in action. Fingers crossed they will come back next year.
– Jessica Martin