Good morning…
One of the women in our Thursday morning class recently had major surgery on her spine. She wrote us in early August: “Good Morning sweet Group! I cannot thank you enough for all the encouragement and prayer power that you have sent my way during this recovery period. I want to extend an invitation for a ‘Day Away’ at Big Canoe. That will be my 6 week mark when I can re-enter life! We have a home up there and I would love to have you for a little end-of-summer gathering before our regular semester begins.”
What a delightful invitation.
On short notice, about half of us were able to attend the overnight retreat. Fun friends. Great food. Cozy touches. Forest hike. Sunset cruise. Gorgeous sky. Pajama talk. Wild life. We even saw a bear!
I joined the staff at Northside Church over twenty years ago, but I was a newbie at this gathering, as many of the women have known one another for thirty-eight years or more. We reminisced about our vibrant Women’s Ministry. Mission trips away. Serving close to home. Books we’ve read together. Prayers we’ve lifted diligently. Caring for kids, grandkids, spouses, and aging parents. Surviving surgeries, cancers, heart transplants, divorces, depression, and the death of loved ones. Old friends we’ve lost. New friends we’ve gained.
How wonderful to get away with soulful friends, as summer ends before a new semester begins.
It’s because of people—my family, friends, and acquaintances— that I say, “May peace permeate you” (Psalm 122:8, VOICE).
…Sue…
