Spontaneous Prayer Retreat

The Lord is so kind. He heard my prayer, the prayer of my heart since January when I started really sensing the need to get to away with one or two friends for a personal retreat. I didn't have many wants on top of the needs, just some solid prayer time, outdoor time, some exercise, and maybe some decent food.

Well, Friday night my friend and pastor's wife, Marilyn, called to ask a favor for this coming week if we didn't have family plans already in the works for my spring break. I said it would work and the only thing I really wanted (after some spring cleaning for sanity's sake) was to get away for a personl retreat. "Me, too!" she said. One thing led to another, Paul agreed it was fine, and on Saturday at noon Marilyn finally got through to Sandy Cove and booked the ONLY room Sandy Cove had left. It's a Christian conference center 45 minutes from here right on the Chesapeake Bay.

I had exactly 3 hours to prepare. She had said something about fasting isntead of eating dinner, which I wrestled with in my heart. So much so that I probably should have taken it as a "yes, if it's that big a deal, you probably do need to fast!" But she had a headache and decided food was a good thing to have.

We prayed a solid hour for our families, our church, for our own hearts to be changed and ready for revival. We laughed, cried, listened to music, and worked out , finally saying goodnight at nearly 2 a.m. AFter breakfast we went to the pier and took pictures, then prayed another hour together and an hour separately. Then lunch, some bookstore shopping, and more devotions separately in the sunshine overlooking the bay. Such beauty. God is majestic in all His ways, mindful of us and oh so good to refresh us spontaneously and thoroughly!