My cup overflows: grateful for God’s provision – Di Reilly
Last Saturday afternoon, 12 August, 35 women came together from Robina and Burleigh parishes, along with some new friends, for a Women’s Retreat. Some were tentative – this was a new experience. Others were looking forward to what the afternoon might hold. All were grateful for time and space for their own spiritual wellbeing, quietly, and alongside others who respected this need.
Supported by volunteer helpers and led by Reverend Mary-Anne, we moved through seven prayer spaces that focussed on Psalm 23 as an opportunity to reflect and renew ourselves and our souls. We did this in our own time, with very little speaking – if any. Each space captured a verse of the Psalm, where, assisted by a helper, we were invited to reflect on the verse and its meaning in our lives. Reflective quiet spaces, some with candles and tea lights, water features and flowers or crafted activities provided place and time for deep contemplation, tears and healing.
There was only one rule: no matter where you started, prayer space 1 or 4, you continued in sequence. Prayer space 7 was afternoon tea – home-made sausage rolls, scones with jam and cream and the best berry and white chocolate muffins I’ve ever had (more on that later).
Naturally I started at station 6 as I was hungry and keen to get to afternoon tea!
Prayer space 6 was the Sanctuary (the altar and steps). “You prepare a table before me in the presence of all my fears, you bless me with oil, my cup overflows.”
Writing our fears on a piece of paper and placing them in a bowl to hand over to God before being anointed with oil and receiving communion was confronting and freeing all at once. Tears flowed freely. Giving voice to my fears gave voice to my real need – trust God and remember all the ways in which my cup overflows.
Maybe, I thought, while God doesn’t always give us what we want, God provides what we need and that even in times of great heartache and disappointment, he is revealing to us a plan that is far better than the one we imagined for ourselves.
My cup continued to overflow at station 7 as I replenished with tea and baked delights while considering the verse: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the heart of the beloved forever.” I heard then, the laughter of my brother in my ear, (who would have turned 65 on 30 July but left us suddenly just over a year ago) asking me why I didn’t bring him back any muffins! Thankful for the gift of bakers and brothers and my hunger satisfied, I moved on to prayer space number 1.
Three large hearts displayed the words: “O my Beloved, you are my shepherd, I shall not want.” Small pictures of scenery, technology, faces, and animals were placed alongside single words printed on yellow or green slips of paper. The yellow words described your emotion (negative) and the green, your desire (positive). I don’t mind letting you know that the picture that captured my emotion was of an orangutan with one hand on its head as if dismayed or perplexed! And then, I reversed the order of the phrases of this small verse to “I shall not want” for “you are my shepherd”. I just let the power of that sink in.
Spaces 2 and 3, the Ken Haffendon Room and the Garden of Reflection were tranquil spaces: “You bring me to green pastures for rest and lead me beside still waters, renewing my spirit” and “You restore my soul. You lead me in the path of goodness to follow Love’s way.” The gift of Dadirri, a word from the Ngan’gikurunggurr and Ngen’giwumirri languages of the Aboriginal peoples of the Daly River region, meaning deep inner deep listening, quiet still awareness, waiting and letting go, living in unison with Country, with the natural rhythms and seasons of creation and life, waiting on God, God’s perfect timing and his way, was extremely powerful and healing.
Space 4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I am not afraid” – can only be described as cathartic (at least for me) as I wrote answers to the questions “How was it for you in the Valley?” and “How would I name my grief?”. I thought that my grief had a name, but in the end, it was my own. And to emerge from the Valley I had only to give the power back to God.
My journey was completed at Space 5, where Mother Ann had created a chalk prayer path on the veranda in which to walk and consider the words: “For you are ever with me; Your rod and Your staff, they guide me, they give me strength and comfort.”
As I walked, I remembered the words of my dear friend Bruce who taught me showjumping and many life lessons before he passed away too young and too full of life three years ago: “Keep your eyes on the direction in which you’re going, don’t look back at the jump you’ve just missed, or you’ll stuff the next one.” I don’t know if his message captures the essence of this verse and Mother Ann’s intention, but I commend it to you anyway.
Overwhelmingly, the women I spoke with afterwards found the experience very helpful and meaningful. It provided an opportunity to deeply reflect on their life with God, their feelings and life events and even to see things differently. To remember they are held in Love. The afternoon certainly helped me to refocus and to shift my gaze from what I’ve lost to what I’ve gained. To rediscover gratitude.
Thank you to all the beautiful, kind, generous women who put so much care, thought and love into preparing everything and supporting us and especially to Avril who happily shared her recipe for the best-ever home-made muffins!
Avril’s berry and white chocolate (or raspberry and dark chocolate or whatever you like) Muffins:
- 2 ½ cups of self-raising flour
- 1 cup choc buttons of your choice
- 1 cup berries of choice (blueberries/raspberries)
- 90 grams butter
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 300ml buttermilk
- Rub butter into flour, mix eggs with buttermilk, bake and eat!
Enjoy!
Di