Last weekend proved to be one of the greatest weekends ever. I joined several of my brothers and sisters from 24/7 Christian Ministries on a retreat to Stone Mountain State Park in Roaring Gap, NC. This retreat came at a crossroads in my life. I no longer felt like I was doing God’s will by pursuing a career as a historian/teacher. I was physically, mentally and spiritually drained from the load of work I was doing in and out of class. I hoped to use this retreat to re-connect with God, connect with everyone on the retreat, and figure out what my true calling was. Well, God answered my prayers.
We got down there Friday evening around six. We set up camp while Tom and a couple of others prepared our evening meal: a fantastic roast and mashed potatoes. This was a meal sent from heaven itself. After some worship time and talk, we all turned in. It was amazing, being able to fit four grown men in a two-person tent. With the blessing of God, we did it!
Saturday was the day where I found the answers that I sought. After a hearty breakfast, Steve (not me) spoke for a little bit after some music. After words, we were given thirty minutes to spend in quiet time before lunch. We were each handed a passage to read, and then left to spend time with God. The passage began with Matthew 6:1, which reads: Beware of practicing righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward for your Father who is in heaven.“
I was then going to start reading from Leviticus, but then felt strongly in my heart that I needed to praise Him, and this is what I did for nearly twenty minutes. In that time, God spoke to my heart, saying: Steven, you are on the path I have sent you on. Continue on, My beloved child. In that moment, I felt God rejuvenate me mentally, physically, and spiritually. I was humbled by His Grace and Mercy, and thought of nothing but Him for the rest of the day.
Later that day, after lunch, we were given time to go out on our own. Some decided to hike, while others would go to town for supplies. I decided to go to town. While waiting in the parking lot, I heard a noise coming from the woods. As I turned to look, I saw two dear: a mother and child. And they were not more than fifteen feet away. The mother looked at me for a few seconds, and would continue to look back, as I watched this awesome sight. I was humbled again by God as I looked at two of His creation in their habitat. It was awesome.
That evening, after a dinner of hot dogs and smores for dessert, we had praise and worship, and God was definitely there as Mike spoke, and Tom and Steve sang. We turned in very late that night, around 1:30 in the morning.
Sunday was fantastic as well. We had praise and worship, and Time spoke before twenty minutes of quiet time. During this time, I promised my Father that I would not forget what I had learned on this retreat, and thanked him for the illumination shown to me then. We then had a time of sharing what we had experienced on the trip, and closed in prayer, before packing to return home. We left around 12:30, stopped for lunch, and got back home around 4:00 that evening.
This weekend was a time that I will never forget. I grew closer to God, and to my family at 24/7. I’m very grateful to God for this opportunity.
Well, that’s about it. I hope that everyone who reads this will know how much God loves you, and how He showed that love by dying on the cross at Calvary, just for you. May God bless you all.
In Christ,
Steven
