A Little Band of Women Who Are Still Here and Not Done

Up until this weekend, I was in the throes of ramrodding a retreat in Tulsa for my beloved Sister Marie Pierre – now age 90. In this case, “ramrodding” meant connecting with many women who had attended one of her 40 years of retreats. Obviously, while I was going through the list, I found many who had gone on to be with the Lord, others who are dealing with a debilitating illness or have had recent surgeries, and others who are caring for very ill loved ones. My, oh my, how time changes the complexion of “The Way We Were and The Way We Are” today!

For as long as I can remember, this group of women is likened to the Bible sisters, Martha and Mary. We have been “doers AND lovers”. We DO love Jesus and others with all our hearts (they sure loved me in some of my toughest times) and we are women who are relentless in our faith AND faithfulness (serving in word and deed). But, this retreat reunion weekend was about being “Marys at the feet of Jesus and Sister Pierre.” Unquestionably, the expectations for our hearts and souls to be touched went way beyond what we had expected.

Sister Pierre, a living saint in our eyes, is a mentor, a brilliant Bible scholar, a stand-up comedian (she won’t admit to that one, but those of us in her realm of influence would tell you most comedians couldn’t hold a candle to her wit) and held an annual retreat in an off-the-beaten-path location for 40 years. She retired in 2013 which meant the retirement of our annual retreats. Just a little chat about our retreats sparked her to say: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a retreat reunion?” That was all we needed to say “GAME ON!” We needed this refreshing. We needed the rekindling of who we are and who God intended us to be. We needed a “refresher” of God’s goodness and mercy and to remember how much we are loved, and in Sister Pierre’s words – how “unique and irreplaceable” we are.

This sweet, precious woman is hunched over as she pushes her walker up and down the halls of St. Joseph’s Monastery. Though her precious body bears the marks of age and osteoporosis, her mind is so sharp. I am always taken back in her presence – back to what an ultimate sacrifice, devotion, and commitment to Christ look like. How can anyone give up family, marriage, having children, enjoying the excitement of the world and all it affords to be such a fully committed, devoted follower of Christ? She did just that – as a young girl to this day. She incredibly models what sitting at the feet of Jesus looks like, but then getting up and going about telling others about Jesus as Mary Magdalene did.

We had the opportunity to share “retreat” memories. We remembered her “talks” that always encouraged and challenged us and then she’d send us outdoors by the lake and God’s creation to reflect on what she had spoken to us about. Of course, God met us in his creation and we’d come back in and share what we heard Him say to us. Being away from the hustle and bustle at home – to BEING present with God and each other. We felt loved and secure in our Father’s love.

I'm sure the women who followed Jesus felt the same way. If only our world used the example of Jesus and how He loved and respected women. In Luke 8 we see there was a band of women followers who traveled with Him and His disciples. Those women came from all walks of life and some had questionable backgrounds, but here’s the common thread – each of them experienced healing through their encounter with Christ.

The women that Jesus touched and loved is a mighty indicator of His love for us. The women at the foot of the cross and at the tomb held a tiny flame of faith. That flame of faith may have burned high, and it may have burned low, but the flame never went out, and their faith was rewarded. Our little band of retreat women celebrated that love He has for us. Our flame of faith, too, may burn high and it may burn low, but our flame never goes out because we have faith in His Word that “nothing is impossible with Him".

What BAND do you belong to? If you don’t have a group that lifts you higher, that is willing to run to the finish line with you, that encourages you to go the distance, that makes you better and gives you a good kick-in-the-place-you-sit-on every now and again, I urge you to find a BAND too. Being a little band of women or men….can certainly keep you going….especially when the going gets tough.

What a Day This Has Been!

"What a day this has been. What a rare mood I'm in -- why it's almost like being in love. There's a smile on my face, for the whole human race -- why it's almost like being in love!" Old song that I was singing at the end of yesterday!

That's because I sat out to live out loud with others, yesterday, on our 51st Wedding Anniversary, instead of having any woe-is-me moments. Too much "living and loving" opportunities! I knew God would have me on assignment this weekend. Friday afternoon I drove to Tulsa, gave hugs to my precious mother-in-law and headed out for a night with the girls -- my dear single women friends in Hyde Park, where I lived here in Tulsa. What a great time we had catching up! I loved hearing that most of these gals have found their "home" church with a pastor they respect and love, attend regularly and are continually inviting others to join them. They've become missionaries! That makes me smile so big.

Yesterday morning, Mom declared "I woke in up in the middle of the night because my toe was hurting so much. I sat on the side of the bed and looked at the clock. It said 3:16 -- John 3:16 -- I said 'Thank you, Lord, for giving me your one and only Son. By His stripes, I am healed!" I love it. She knew God was loving on her at 3:16 am! What a blessing it is to have these sweet times of "heavenly" love together! Mom continues to be such an inspiration to me and everyone else!

I headed out to meet with my two "walking" buddies from when I lived here. We walked and prayed back then, and yesterday, I rejoiced at so many answers to those prayers. In particular, my friend whose daughter recently gave birth to twins -- a double miracle and answer to our prayers.

My next assignment was to go visit my precious friend and mentor, Sister Marie Pierre at St. Joseph Monastery. She hadn't been feeling well (she's 88 now), and I think my little visit and our time talking about God's goodness perked her up. I was thrilled to help her with a project she's working on, and love on her -- and her making me so loved. She loved my husband so much, so it was perfect to visit her on our anniversary.

As I left Sister Pierre, I saw an Estate Sale sign, and I stopped to check it out, and I'm so glad I did because, here on my anniversary day -- when my sweetheart always gave me yellow roses, along with planting a yellow rose bush at every home we've lived in, as well as yellow roses being our wedding flowers -- was this porcelain yellow rose that called out my name. I knew God nudged me to stop to be romanced by Him and my Sweetheart. Of course I bought it. I knew it was heaven-sent!

After taking Mom a meal from Cracker Barrel, the finale of my day was Sheila Michie's, my dear friend's birthday celebration. What joy it was to be a part of this night of blessings -- in particular, seeing my sweet friend with her adorable grandson, who is full of energy and joy, lots of singing and laughter, as well as meeting the priest that my Hyde Park girl friends say "is the best" -- small world -- that he would be a friend to my friends and show up for this night of celebration!

I'm here to tell you -- we have choices to make everyday. The choice to be an introvert and stay within our walls and give ourselves pity parties for what we don't have, or we can go from person to person, home to home, street to street, and city to city -- to spread good news -- that Christ came to give us. Eternity awaits us....but why go there until it calls our name. Why not LIVE STRONG, in the Land of the Living as long as God gives us breath on this side of eternity?

"Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience the LORD's favor in the land of the living?" Psalm 27:13

Make Me a Channel of Your Peace

Day 239 of Photo Inspirations -- Make Me a Channel of Your Peace
I love that song -- the lyrics are from St. Francis' Prayer that goes "Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace".  That is sincerely my prayer -- to be a peacemaker AND to live in that peace.

How do we do that when the world is full of clamor and noise and so many distractions -- not to mention cranky, mean-spirited, angry, and unhappy people?

We have to MAKE peace our priority. We have to practice peace. We have to exit the room when conflict presents itself.  It really is a priority.

We can find it sitting in a peaceful scenic area, in a cozy chair, in a chapel, while rocking a sleeping baby OR in a monastery.  A monastery?  Talking about peace ON PURPOSE, I found it yesterday.  It truly is a house of prayer and peace.  I was attending a mini-retreat at St. Joseph's Monastery, but before the retreat started, I was able to visit one of my mentors and dear friend, Sister Marie Pierre.  Oh, how I love this precious saint.  After 50+ years of ministry, she retired and lives in a small space at St. Joseph's but it is everything she hoped for in this season of her life.  We made each other cry as we shared some sweet memories, but even more so about our future.... getting to graduate to heaven. We talked about how our loved ones and the saints and Jesus are cheering us on to the finish line.  I could tell she is longing for the day when she'll go home, but in the meantime, sitting at her feet, feeling God's presence and His peace all around her, and in her, is the season she is in.  God continues to use her to touch our lives.  She has MANY children -- of course, not biologically, but she sure had a hand in raising many of us in the ways we should go.

Before I left her side and headed on to the retreat, she wanted to show me her garden that many of us contributed to when she moved to St. Joseph's.  A labor of love created it for her -- the one that her labor of love touched us so much.   Her garden is her daily retreat -- the water splashing from the fountain, the serene place of peace and quiet where birds and butterflies are abundant.  It's a place of contentment, rest and PEACE.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."  Jeremiah 29:13.  I found Him today in the form of one of His precious daughters. She looked like Him.  She smelled like Him.  She sounded like Him.  That's because she lives with Him in such close proximity.  No wonder I left there wanting more.

"Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised."  Proverbs 31:30

The song "Make Me a Channel of Your Peace" -- is so befitting of Sister Pierre.  Oh, that we are that peace channel, too!