Its most unusual....
Hi all!
I just thought I'd drop by and say a few words here before this journal becomes obsolete.
I have recently come back from what probably is the BEST weekend I have ever had in my 21 years of living. I experienced something far greater than anything I have ever experienced before. I saw God work through the lives of 60 odd men this weekend and change them for the better.
Before you start wondering what I am blabbing on about, I went on a men's retreat with men from my local church and other churches around my local area this weekend. The retreat, entitled "MenAlive", is a weekend getaway (it was not really a getaway as it was only about 5 minutes from my place but given that it took a whole weekend, I'll just say it was a getaway) designed for men to overcome various obstacles in their lives and to shift their focus back towards what God wants us to do. I guess you could call it a "repair-and-maintenance" exercise for the many Catholics who went there.
Anyway, I want to just share how this has impacted me for the rest of my life. I came into this retreat knowing that my life needed to change. Up to last Saturday, work had eaten up my entire life and various sins had just further separated myself from God. I really felt lost and overwhelmed by the working lifestyle. I also felt that a lot of the sins I had committed were only committed by me and I really felt that no one could understand how I felt. Yes, in short I really felt guilty of the sins I had committed.
I came to this weekend and was relieved that I was not the only one facing such predicaments and pressures from everyday life. In fact, all the men that were there suffered from the very same things. Also, like myself, a lot of men at the retreat had also felt they had hit a brick wall in their relationship with God and it made me realise that I am not alone in this battle against temptation and against de-prioritising God in my life. It was so encouraging to hear other men's stories about their everyday struggles and what they do to set them back on track. I was also reminded of Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) time and time again and how we as Jesus' disciples need to go across all nations to spread the Good News He proclaimed. It really helped me find my place with God, to move on from what has happened in my life and to remind me of what God's planned for my life.
The worship sessions were some of the most intense worship sessions I experienced. Even up until recently, I always felt that the Catholic Church were not able to worship the way that other Christian denominations do. Boy, was I ever surprised! I could really feel God's presence when all us men sang together in a group and that God was working through each and every one of these men. Its not that they sang pitch-perfect or sang in perfect harmonies. The men at the retreat sang with their hearts and belted the songs out with such force and passion so overwhelming that it would even beat out the passion in the most intense sporting affairs (yes, I would say even more passionate than the crazy football crowds everyone is so used to seeing....that means all forms of football). As it says in Psalm 47:6:
"Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises."
And that, the men there most certainly did!
I also found it amazing how this event impacted not only myself but the other men around me. One of the people I made friends with shared to everyone how the talks and sessions led him to give his life up for Christ and how he has become so much better because of it. Praise God that such a change could take place! I was also really inspired by how some of the older men at the retreat admitted their lives were changed for the better and how sharing their problems and finding ways to overcome these problems will impact them for the rest of their lives. These are coming from men in their 70s! Praise God that all men can be changed for the better!
I have made some lifelong friends this weekend and I now have the privilege of spending every Saturday morning with them sharing our thoughts on the Bible and how God's Word applies in our everyday lives. Some of the guys I met over the weekend are some of the most awesome guys I have ever met and I know that we really shared something special that I would not have ever experienced had I never known Jesus.
In conclusion, all I can say is that I have never felt more alive since my days at uni with Student Life (a Christian group I went to at uni....better known as Campus Crusade for Christ in the U.S.) and the Mid Year Conferences I went to as a student. Thank you Lord for reminding me that you died on the cross to redeem me from my sins, to restore my life and for giving me the opportunity to spread your Good News to the people around me. Thank you Lord for being so awesome and for continuing to inspire me!
And thank all you guys who have read this today.