Reflection on the Intentionality of Retreats

By Ann Rose Connor

One of the clearest ways I have seen how thoughtfully the program is structured was in the two retreats that we were launched into the first and second weeks after moving to the Lake Norman area. In the thick of moving into host family homes, starting new jobs, and getting plugged into the wonderful Storyhill Church community, the second retreat deliberately gave us space to learn about how the Lord has worked in the stories and hearts of the other fellows and leaders through our testimonies. We were encouraged entrust each other with the more vulnerable parts of ourselves and our backgrounds, including the current situation of how we enter this year together. I remember thinking that much of my past may actually be easier to share than my present—that seemed far too fragile and messy to share with brand new friends. Even after sharing, second guessing filled my mind as I wondered if I had shared in a way that made sense, if it had been too much or too little, and if it would somehow lead to alienation and distance from others after revealing how broken I actually am. As always, the Lord quickly came to my rescue and reassured me through His Word and His people that He already knows and has drawn near to us in our brokenness and His grace is actually sufficient. And at the same time, I was given the privilege to hear others articulate how the Lord pursued hearts and gave new identities as a part of His family. Similar threads of redemption were apparent in a room full of diverse backgrounds and personalities, and it was a beautiful and unifying thing to hear how the Gospel seemed so tailored to fit each story.

Though there is still so much that we have to learn about each other, these intentional retreats have set us on such a good trajectory to continue to draw closer into the “mud piles” of each other’s lives and press on towards how the Lord would have us learn with and from each other. It is so hard to sum up all the significant moments in a little paragraph update, but I hope it is apparent that God has been at work, answering prayer in the big and small steps that have filled the past four weeks.