In Christian circles we have a joke that there are certain topics that have a tendency to “thin the herds.” If there is a sermon series on giving or a request to spend blocks of time in prayer, we tend to see fewer folks in the pews and in our halls of study. So when I cast the vision for a two-hour prayer retreat, in which we would ask God to speak to us, I would have been thrilled to have six to eight women–about 25% of our Women in the Word bible study class. God was apparently up to something special because 28 women committed with great enthusiasm and expectancy that God would show up!
We gathered Saturday morning. My goal was for us to come with humbled hearts to hear God’s voice in the spirit of John 17:23. I prayed, “Lord, please bring our Women in the Word Sunday School class into complete unity with you. Please show us what you want us to focus on for 2013.” Whatever God shared with us was to be recorded on index cards.
I picked key passages out of the gospel of John to raise confidence that God would talk to His children. I wanted the women to appreciate that God is honored to be invited as the solo speaker, and He will speak. Because our group was represented by all levels of spiritual maturity and because some women were newer in their journey with the Lord, I felt they needed encouragement to trust what they heard. When a particular thought popped into their mind, I didn’t want them to dismiss it just because they might not understand why that thought occurred. I came up with an object lesson to illustrate my point.
I went to a children’s store and bought a jigsaw puzzle with about ten pieces. I took out all of the pieces and randomly distributed them without showing them the picture. Each piece was to represent a thought, a phrase, a Scripture passage, a word picture, or whatever came to their minds. I didn’t want the women to discount their thoughts just because they didn’t understand them. If everybody trusted that God was speaking, then we would write down on our index cards what He brings to mind. By doing so we would be able to see how God spoke to us collectively with all pieces brought to the table. Here is the assembled puzzle:
Assembled Airplane
If you’re a teacher, I highly recommend that if you are going to illustrate a concept with a jigsaw puzzle, you should practice putting it together before trying it in front of a group. I made the assumption that because I bought the puzzle at a children’s store, it would be child’s play. I couldn’t have been more wrong! After fumbling for a while, I finally said, “OK. Who has the tail? Let’s start there!” After the laughter subsided, the women were gracious and loved the big picture concept. They understood that each piece of the puzzle is vital to understanding God’s emerging theme for our class.
The time came to enter into solitude for two hours. I distributed index cards and instructed each woman to write whatever they believed God was telling them. I especially asked them not to use their names because we didn’t want human personalities to persuade interpretation. At the end of two hours we reconvened, collected all the cards, and debriefed. It was satisfying to hear women say that the two hours went by too fast!
I scanned the cards and emailed them to all class members, whether they attended the retreat or not. I asked everyone to pray for the Spirit’s leadership in discerning the emerging theme and to be prepared to share their interpretations during our Sunday School hour. But when I read through all the index cards myself, all I could see were 28 random ideas. I had my heart set on a clear emerging theme that would be obvious to all. Where was the airplane?? I struggled Saturday afternoon and evening with disappointment, frustration, and confusion.
I had no idea how intense my expectation of God was until I began our class in prayer, and I just wept. I confessed to God my disappointment and sought His help in discerning a unifying message. As soon as my prayer was over, the women told me they had just the opposite reaction! They were shocked I felt disappointed. “I had such great faith that God would pierce through all the different levels of spiritual maturity and bring about a crystal clear theme.” I said. “I have asked multiple prayer warriors who were covering us during our retreat to pray that God would make his message abundantly clear. It was my deepest desire that each woman would be so convinced in the power of prayer that they would implement times of silence before God as a regular discipline.”
What followed was amazing. I asked each woman to share what she thought God had said to us collectively. One by one they shared from their hearts what they felt God had said. One woman said, “I felt like a fraud. I wanted to be a part of this retreat and knew I hadn’t been faithful to read the bible like I should. I thought, ‘Why would God even want to speak to me?’” But when she opened her bible, she kept hearing one theme – keep growing. Another woman shared, “Before I came to this class I felt spiritually dead. “I’m a nurse and care for many people,” she told us. “But I was dead inside. I feel alive again. “As I was praying, I heard “obey the Word.” Another woman who is a new believer said, “I’m so glad that I came. I went to the prayer retreat trusting that ‘something will happen.’ During the two hours I kept hearing “I am here.” She sensed that people want to do something and that we should pay attention to small details.”
We stayed for as long as it took to hear all thirty ladies. There was not a dry eye in our room. There was transparency, vulnerability, and an indescribable love that was powerfully evident. The Spirit was moving mightily. As we listened to each woman, the tapestry of thoughts that God wove together revealed a unifying message. It became apparent that the airplane was there all along, and that I had missed it. As one of our ladies said, “I was hoping 28 cards would read World Hunger.” That was the kind of clarity I expected from God. But the collective message was clear: We are all one in Christ regardless of where we are in our spiritual journey, AND we are all hungering and desiring to grow in our relationship to God.
Not only do we have a unifying message from God, but we have a stronger bond among us to journey together as we grow in our relationship to God by loving others and serving others. God spoke through index cards. There was an airplane after all.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
Praise the Lord! Isn’t it interesting how God continues to ignore our expectations in order to give us what we need. Keep on listening! This is wonderful stuff that you are getting into.
Yes, it’s very interesting! I seem to find myself on the steeper learning curves in my own relationship to God. How many times have I taught others not to put God in a box, yet that’s exactly what I did! As you astutely put it, it was for our own good. He is an awesome God, and I can’t wait to see how we grow together and spend more time with Him in prayer. Jonathan, I can’t tell you how much I’ve deeply appreciated your spiritual support of this. It was your retreat three years ago that spurred me on, and I thank God for it and for putting you and Barb in my life.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
Amen!
Sent from my iPhone
Jane,
I am so glad you could be a part!
Blessings,
Lee Ann
I was reading my favorite author, Evelyn Underhill, and something she wrote make me think of your desire for our class to be united. She said ‘we are united in choosing God’. I think that sums us up well.
Well said, Peggy! Our choice to unite in Christ is such a blessing. I am looking forward to watching how God will grow us.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
Interesting I read this today thinking maybe I need to figure out my actual level of religious knowledge and seek classes that support my level. Very haughty I know. However some days I feel real child like in my beliefs and God behavior and other times like I have a PhD in Theology. I am a grateful participant of this class. I am touched every Sunday, and the emotions spill over daily. To see the story actually written on this blog really touched my spirit. I am going :wow! I am a part of a special group of women. We each have varied backgrounds and levels of understanding. However we are one in Christ. The Bond is what God was showing me and us..Beautifully written and captured so eloquently.
Sheree,
You are one of the 30 ladies that make our class so special, beautiful and varied. As Peggy put it so beautifully during our sharing time, we are part of a special treasure chest, and you are one of the special gems! I am so thankful God has allowed our lives to intersect, and I am looking forward to our journey together. Love you, Sheree!
Hugs and Blessings,
Lee Ann
Bliss Angerman wrote:
Yep, I think you’ve got the “picture” now! It was an awesome experience, perhaps not what you pictured, but God did above and beyond what you had even imagined! What an awesome God we have!
Bliss
It is such a sweet privilege to talk to/seek our God! As one of the women said, “Why would God want to talk w/me…. any of us?!” The sweet thing is,,,, HE DOES and HE DOES! He WANTS to talk to us and he DOES talk to us, US. He loves us! Much like a good cup of coffee/tea and a few hours w/a dear friend is refreshing, time, sweet, focused time w/our Lord is LIFE giving! How do we enjoy life without fellowship w/Him?
I don’t know any of you outside of Lee Ann, but I am thrilled for each of you! What a sweet moment to cherish with one another. I’ve known that experience and still carry the cards in my bible to this day of what God said in those hours I sought Him. He was found just as He promised and I am not the same. I pray the very same for each of you. Enjoy His presence often. As you seek Him you will discover attributes and treasures you never guessed existed.
As you seek Him, He will keep His word to the letter! Yes, you will discover great and wonderful things, but you will “begin” to know the sweet depth of His incomparable love for you…… His love is beyond words, but to know, KNOW His love, the love of Almighty God, is the single most precious thing I’ve known in this life. His love makes life worth living and joy….. full! I don’t know that joy existed before I knew God’s love. I think there was always something nagging me to keep seeking…. like I hadn’t seen the real thing. I urge you to press on, seek to know more. Having had moments w/God gives life it’s meaning, joy and value that doesn’t dissipate over time. You won’t be casual about life or serving again, you can’t be. Once will leave you hungry for more. Don’t waste the waiting! Each day truly does count. It’s the next step whether we take it or not. Don’t waste the waiting.
I wish for each of you God’s blessings according to His design!
Much love,
Lyrinda
PS: Lee Ann, Thanks for the chance to talk and experience God w/like minded Believers! Maybe someday you could post a picture of your class. It would be fun to “meet”. Love you! Lr
Dear Lyrinda:
Thank you for such heartfelt encouragement to each of our women who are truly seeking to know God more and to have renewed and fresh encounters with Him. You are right that once we meet with Him, we are changed. This was a special experience for all of us, and I know we are going to develop more opportunities to sit before God in solitude to let Him speak to us.
I love your idea of getting a picture of our class. I will work on that! Thank you again for all of your thoughts!! Love, Lee Ann
That dissipate comment should have been “doesn’t” dissipate w/time. Sorry about that. So glad you are proactive w/your class. How great to have such a varied level of growth amongst yourselves! Great opportunities for all to minister to each other as you experience God together. I would guess it would bring to light the many facets of God since we all have such a different relationship w/Him. Much like how you explained the different views of the index cards. I will look forward to “getting to know” your class long distance, sisters in faith! Love, Lyrinda
Dear Lyrinda:
I updated your comment to “doesn’t dissipate” so that it reads the way you meant it. Our class really does enjoy such a continuum of spiritual maturity. We are still learning and discerning how God is at work in our class. We have been sharing our “SHAPE” (Spiritual Gifts, Heart (passion), Abilities, Personality, Experiences (life)) that I borrowed from Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life. Our relationships keep getting deeper and stronger as we share what we believe God is up to in each of us and still look for how we can mobilize these women for ministry outside the four walls of the church. We are still on a learning curve together, but God has blessed these relationships with women who are not afraid to tell their stories. There is a trust here that can only happen with the Spirit’s help. I do want you to “get to know” your sisters in Christ whom you’ve never met!
I think about you often and hope that married life is bringing too many blessings to count!
Love,
Lee Ann