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How God Surprised Me

6/13/2016

4 Comments

 
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Bravery doesn’t always involve risking your life for someone else. Sometimes it is taking a risk for yourself – a risk that could result in experiencing a better life. It’s stepping outside your comfort zone. I recently met some incredibly brave women. We only spent a weekend together, but we will forever be connected.
 
Who are these brave women? They are the participants of our first Motherless Daughters Journey Retreat. These women, all different ages and from different backgrounds, chose to spend the weekend with a group of women they never met. Some of them even traveled great distances. They all chose to share their stories and were vulnerable about the heartache that comes with mother loss. Instead of hiding their grief, they honestly expressed it. They trusted their pain with someone else. That is bravery.
 
These women quickly bonded with each other. They not only cried together, but laughed, supported, and encouraged one another. It was incredible to see the healing that took place.
 
It was such an honor and privilege to be one of the facilitators at the Journey Retreat. It’s humbling to think that God would allow me to be a part of His plan - that He would allow me to walk alongside and support these women. I honestly had doubts and questioned God about facilitating. I questioned my abilities, which ironically was the exact reason I knew I was supposed to facilitate – I couldn’t do it on my own, but I needed to rely on God to equip me and help me.
 
A lot of planning went into the retreat, but so did a lot of prayer. Our group of volunteers prayed for these women before we met them. As a facilitator, I prayed that they would feel loved, supported, and encouraged, and that God would give them peace, comfort, and hope in the midst of their grief. I also prayed for healing.
 
I expected God to answer those prayers, and He did. What I didn’t expect was for Him to use these women to do all of those things for me. They provided me with love, support, comfort, and encouragement. I felt such peace in their presence, and they gave me hope.
 
God used them to remind me that even though I will have to experience several major life events without my mom, He will put other women in my life to help me through those experiences. It may be hard to face them without my mom, but I won’t have to go through them alone. I saw this lived out in the stories of the women at the retreat, and it was such an encouragement to me. 
 
Even though all of our stories are different, mother loss binds us together. There are certain things that only other motherless daughters understand. It’s a group that I never wanted to be a part of, but I’m so thankful for the women I have met along the way. I’m especially thankful for the brave women that I met at the Journey Retreat. 
4 Comments
Caroline
6/13/2016 11:10:21 pm

Beautifully said Julie! I am forever indebted to Motherless Daughters Ministry. Never have I felt so loved, understood, and supported. Everyone is forever in my thoughts and prayers! SO grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this journey.

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Julie
6/14/2016 10:29:20 am

Caroline, you make me smile. Your comments are proof that our prayers were answered. Your strength and bravery continue to amaze me. I'm so thankful that God brought you into my life.

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Mary Ellen Collins link
6/14/2016 10:53:58 am

Oh Julie, your thoughts and reflections of the weekend are your words but everyone one of us say the same things. It was God that we had to depend on. It was God that equipped us to do His work. It was God who was powerful and present in amazing ways. Thank you for being the woman I love and adore.

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Julie
6/14/2016 09:19:46 pm

So true, Mary Ellen! Thank you for leading by example. You stepped out in faith and trusted God with every aspect of this retreat.

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