Enough

This morning, I woke up at 6:40 in a room with about 8 other women in it.  I .  None of them were stirring yet, as the day's activities were scheduled to begin at 8:30am.  I rolled out of bed as quietly as possible to grab my notebook and Bible and head out into the room where we had had worship together the night before.

I was at my church's women retreat, which started Friday evening and went through this morning.  I had decided to wake up well before the scheduled activities so that I could take some time and just be.  Not necessarily praying or reading, but just being.  Breathing and thinking, letting God speak if He chose or just letting my thoughts meander as they pleased.

The sun was just beginning to light the sky as I sat down with 

my Bible to spend some time with God.

The theme of the retreat was, "Enough."  We were reminded this weekend that God made us, and that He loves us.  He knows that we're flawed and he loves us through the flaws.  

As I prayed about that early this morning and reflected on it later with a small group, I realized that God made me to be imperfect, not because he wanted me to be miserable about it and beat myself up over it, but so that his strength can be seen in my weakness.  I am enough, not because I'm perfect, but because God can use my weakness for His glory.

God fulfills.  God heals.  God restores.  God pursues.  God is the only thing that will ever complete you.  

With that on my heart, I stepped outside to the frigid air.  It was not snowing,but there was a light dusting of snow in an occasional patch.  My face was almost instantly numb from the crisp air. 

 There were actually a couple of girls who I saw outside, so we trekked through the woods together, trying to decide if we were actually on a path.  We finally decided that it didn't really matter and meandered down the steep hill together.

Even in the cold, God showed us the beauty of His creation, as the sun cast some gorgeous rays on the tips of the intertwining branches as it emerged over the horizon.

 We arrived back inside and I snapped this picture of some of the paintings that were completed last night.  It was amazing to see the creativity in these women's minds and what God had placed on their hearts to paint, and how they expressed themselves.

Finally, I returned to the A-frame to watch the sun come through the trees.  Someone else sat in the loft, doing the same thing, and it was beautiful to be reminded that with the start of a new day, God told us that we were enough.  We didn't have to fulfill the expectations of parents, friends, teachers, boyfriends, or anybody else.  Not only would this be an impossible task, it would never be fulfilling to us.  God loves us, just the way we are, and He more than fulfills all of the expectations that anyone could ever have.

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

Living in Reckless Abandonment for Jesucristo,

Jo