The Journey Makes Us One

     On August 21-22, I served on team for Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) Women’s retreat #23 at our church. I’m still amazed by the relationships that began over a weekend in February when we came together for CRHP Women’s weekend #22 and have continued throughout our team formation process.

     A love of Christ and desire to be renewed brought a group of women spanning a wide range of ages, levels of education, careers, life experiences, faith formation, ministry involvement, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and God-given abilities together February 21-22 to continue “Growing in God’s Love.” We did what we were invited and reminded to do by the theme song chosen for our weekend “Let My Love Open the Door.”
     Our theme for CRHP #23, “The Journey Makes Us One,” has proved to be a perfect fit for a number of reasons. A couple lines from the hymn “Jerusalem, My Destiny” described our group coming together quite well: “Let no one walk alone. The journey makes us one.” Over the seven months while the eighteen of us were in team formation, we were given a number of opportunities to pray with and for one another. The death of loved ones, family crises, job loss, separation, divorce, disputes over child custody, facing serious illness, and surgeries are just a handful of the difficulties which we’ve helped support and pray each other through since we first came together last winter.
     Meetings, shared meals, lots of prayer, phone calls, e-mails, Facebook chats, text messages, letters, cards, flowers, impromptu visits, extra hugs, and perfectly timed words of encouragement have helped renew our spirits, create new friendships, and foster a sisterhood within the women of our parish. Our bond was solidified over the Saturday and Sunday of Women’s CRHP #23 as we welcomed ten other women from our parish into the CRHP family.
     A call to serve others kept us growing and transformed us from friends into sisters in Christ as we acknowledged and affirmed that “The Journey Makes Us One.”
     Lord, thank You for such amazing women of faith to walk with on our journey to You. Please help keep our hearts open to one another, so that our faith in You and the bonds we have to one another are strengthened in ways that will bring You and Our Lord Jesus Christ greater glory. Amen.