Another Month...Another Meeting...Another Way of Furthering Our Healing

Last night, we had our monthly "Growing on the Vine" meeting for the Rachel's Vineyard group. From month-to-month, you never really know what kind of group we'll get, how many or the direction in which God will lead us. It's pretty amazing to watch it unfold.

We changed things up a little and decided to begin with the Living Scripture portion of the evening following dinner to allow more time for reflection. I think it was very successful. Isn't it wonderful the way God can speak to each of us on an individual level? I mean...there we all were...listening to the exact same words and yet...we all heard very different things that spoke to us, specifically. God is all powerful - He could hammer it into our brains if He so chose, but He'd rather gently guide us there and allow us to experience it for ourselves. Wow...just wow.

There's something truly inspirational about the way I've watched our group of women grow. We are all quite different, coming from varied backgrounds and different age groups. However, on this one night...each month...we come together as "family" and embrace one another without judgment, without rejection and completely at ease. Anyone who knows anything about women knows that this could ONLY be from God! LOL

Not only have I been able to see these women grow, I've experienced that very growth myself. I love each of them in a different way and I learn from all of them on a regular basis. You see, these meetings don't only affect them, but they affect my sprirtual journey, as well. Being around other people who truly understand your own pain...who accept you with ALL your baggage and can look you in the eye without flinching, well...you'd have to be a person without a soul to NOT have that affect you in some way.

In addition to our monthly meetings, there is a small group of us that get together for coffee from time-to-time. We chit-chat and catch up with each other. We laugh and talk about anything that's on our minds. And, because we all have shared such a level of intimacy, we're able to be completely free of restrictions in our conversations. What a blessing from God, indeed.

This is God at work in our midst. He is leading us toward furthering our relationship with Him by increasing our faith, allowing our spirits to heal, awakening our desire to do more for one another and ourselves and reminding us that there is no sin that he cannot or will not forgive for a penetent heart. Experiencing the breaking of the chains of self-defeating behavior myself, it only further strengthens my own faith and desire to continue with a program such as this when I see countless women break free of their own chains, also.

It's imperative that we not give up hope. Not on ourselves and certainly, not on each other. God placed many angels all around us...they come in the form of friends, counselors, mentors, people we encounter in our daily lives and even a person we might only ever see once. If we will only open our hearts, we'll be able to receive healing in abundance and walk upright toward His welcoming light.

Peace be with you.