Building Retreat Testimony~ Linda Clark

You know how you attend a wonderful retreat, get all fired up with resolutions and then slowly get sidetracked with life back “in the real world”? Well, recently I attended a senior ladies Bible study discussion group at another church, and this get together reminded me of the Presbytery Women’s Retreat with its emphasis on building relationships and my desire to have someone special to mentor. The Bible study showed me the blessings of meeting with older women and hearing their stories and their wisdom about different scriptures. It also reminded me of the importance and need for women to be mentoring women. So now I’ve gone back to my notes from the Presbytery retreat to get myself back on track and praying for that special woman &/or women God has for me to mentor and to mentor me and also to share with anyone who may read this what was so special about our North Texas Presbytery Ministry to Women Retreat 2013.

Notes from NTPMWR13:
~Mentoring relationships encourage & build one another up.
~Mentoring relationships can be formal or informal & long or short.
~Mentoring relationships can change over time & require relational wisdom along with clear
communication.
~Mentoring relationships are for ALL women.
~Mentoring relationships should be Christ centered and gospel focused.

Basically in a nut shell, women need to talk to other women. But more than that, our words need to be Christ centered, gospel focused, encouraging and building up each other. Whew! It seems like a very important assignment our Father has given us. Yet talking comes natural to most of us, so we, with Holy Spirit’s help, must pray, pray, pray that our words are within these parameters, then we will be mentoring others informally all the time.

One of the scriptures from the retreat was Titus 2:3-5, which challenged me with some very specific instructions for older women (EVERYONE is an older woman to someone):
*be reverent in behavior
*don’t slander (gossip is so easy to fall into….WATCH OUT!)
*don’t drink too much wine
*teach what’s good & train the young women to love their husbands & children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, & submissive to their husbands.
*do all this in order not to revile the Word

As older women, it’s our responsibility to be an example to the younger women in our sphere of influence: We are role models good or bad, whether we want to be or not. Sort of like those movie stars & athletes, who say they’re not role models, but they are. Someone is watching our every word & action, especially if we give ourselves the name Christian. So no matter our age, young or old, or our maturity in the faith, our lives must not revile the Word. Dear Father, forgive us again for reviling the Word and give us Your grace to be reverent in behavior, self-controlled, pure, kind encouragers for You.

Another scripture from the retreat was 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

The retreat was excellent for making me think about the importance of being a Mentor & how we ALL need to be mentored, old and young. Heavenly Father, send Holy Spirit to touch our hearts and make our words, words of encouragement, which build up each other.