Human
I feel human for the first time in about a week today! Whew!
The retreat for men and women in Iowa was so rich and textured it is difficult to convey. My staff of four women and three men wondered why we hadn't tried this mix before. There were people who arrived very nervous about having those of the opposite gender also attending, but by the retreat's conclusion, it became a tremendous example of health. One woman approached me and my male co-leader and looked this man square in the eye and said how wonderful it was to hear his voice as an abuse survivor and as a healthy man. She stopped seeing gender and began seeing hope.
There were several married couples who arrived with deep wounds and deep hope that something positive would come. They were not disappointed. There was such an outpouring of God's lavish love on these couples that I felt as if I were standing on holy ground. The fact is, I was.
My leadership team bonded together like a grand family of brothers and sister, joined by love and focus. Each of us was profoundly impacted by the privilege of walking alongside each other and those who attended. Individual journeys meshed and our own personal healings impacted each other.
This retreat was sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Davenport, Hope and Healing Ministries. We incorporated some Catholic spiritual practices at different times during the retreat as optional. One beautiful experience for me was that I was asked to read a portion of Scripture during the Saturday evening Mass. Some of my team attended that Mass and we received a blessing from the presiding Priest. We were truly brothers and sisters in Christ and it was sacred for all of us.
As the retreat concluded, Reconciliation was offered, again as an option for those who wanted to participate. The Priest who offered Reconciliation said to one of our retreat participants, "Go in peace, you have suffered enough."
http://www.committedtofreedom.org/
posted by Sallie @ 7:24 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home