by: Lisa Manley, WCI Leader Couple, Omaha, NE
My husband Bernie and I had the privilege of attending the Duc in Altym Marriage Retreat Weekend in Winona, MN in March of this year. It was such a gift to our marriage. It made us want others that we know and love to have the opportunity to receive that same gift. That desire, led to a thought… “Maybe we could offer a retreat here in Omaha for our family, friends, and church community. Maybe Peter and Theresa would consider coming to Omaha!” We really had no idea whether that was even something they did. The thought provoked excitement and got the wheels turning. We wondered, “What would that look like here? Where would we hold it? When would be a good time?” But very quickly we got a strong sense that this was not our idea… it was an inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It was an invitation to join in on spreading the message of JP II and God’s original plan for marriage. This belief gave us a sense of freedom, confidence, and courage. Knowing that the motivation came from the Lord, we knew that we did not need to figure it all out or make all the plans, we just needed to be open, keep our eyes on the Lord and follow His lead through the intercession of JP II.
We reached out to Peter and Theresa. We were surprised at how quickly they responded to our invitation to come to Omaha. With an emphatic “Of course! We would love to!” They assured us that they would be happy to work with whatever situation and resources we had available. Whether that was a full weekend retreat or just a two day with no overnight stay. This allowed us to consider hosting it at our Church and the adjacent gymnasium which would serve as conference room and dining room. We have a beautiful new Parish Life Center which would also provide private space for dialoguing throughout the retreat. The next open door we prayed for was the approval of our parish Priest. It was met with the same response. ”Of course!” This was another affirmation that God was inspiring, leading, and paving the way for His good plans. We decided to offer a two-day retreat with no overnight.
This left us with 2 months to do the planning and preparation. It required us to get to work and stay on task. It also forced us to trust, surrender and quickly re- surrender whenever we would forget our role and attempt to take control. From the start, there was a certainty that the Holy Spirit was in charge, evidenced by how smoothly things fell into place. Not to say that we did not have challenges and obstacles, but the acceptance of them as part of Gods plan gave us comfort. We knew that in the end whatever happened was God’s will. Theresa was always in close contact throughout the whole process guiding and encouraging us. She never doubted that God had it all taken care of.
We had 27 couples attend the retreat. Not surprisingly, it seemed to be the perfect amount given the space and resources we had. The weekend was beautiful. The evaluations and comments from the guests were evidence that the Holy Spirit was present and that the couples were blessed by their experience. It was a privilege for us to be a tool in Gods hand to accomplish His will to bless our community and spread the message of God’s desire for marriage and families. Several couples expressed a desire for more information so we are in the process of following God’s will to plan a follow-up gathering. An opportunity to share more of the vision of JP II, answer any questions, and provide a space to build community. Just our way of doing our part in helping spread the word and change the culture of marriage in our community.
As is typical of God’s movements and invitations, we saw how this exercise of planning the retreat was so much more than that. It was a great analogy for how to live our lives and surrender to God and His plan. We know He has a great plan for our lives, great ideas and so many blessings in store for our future. If only we would be willing to surrender every detail to Him and keep our eyes on Him when we want to take control. If only we would step out of the way and give him space to work things out according to His good will. If I am walking in grace, nothing is ever really “MY” idea… I am just following the lead and cooperating with the plan He has.
“Be Not Afraid” JP II