On Saturday, April 18, I led a day-long retreat about Uncharted Journey. The event was hosted by Buncombe Street UMC Women but included women from other congregations as well as one or two from out of town. There were seventy-five participants. At the end of the retreat, the women were asked to evaluate their experience. Here is a sampling of their comments.
What do you think was the most successful part of the Uncharted Journey experience?
- Opportunity to discuss issues with other women and share our journey
- Dealing with changes in a positive, forward thinking way
- Knowing God is in control of our transition
- Good balance of large and small group experiences. Acknowledgment that loss and letting go are normal, natural, and healthy realities
- Realizing that we are not alone. Handouts to remind me and to ponder. I love the bibliography!
- The focus on being able to “let go” and become “the person I’m meant to be”
- Humor
- It was all good. I often do not like the “small group” but my table was wonderful—felt I made new friends
- All the info was so helpful
- Loss and letting go topics. I’ve never attended a Christian seminar on these topics
- The worship service
- Validation of feelings
- All of it
Was the Uncharted Journey experience helpful to you? If yes, in what way?
- Know that life is a process
- Oh yes…encouragement as I continue to grieve for my spouse
- Meditation – reflection- scriptures
- To be aware of the passages that I will encounter as I age
- Yes, for affirmation
- Yes, be more intentional in how I think about my life
- Yes, dealing with loss, grief, and changes. Finding joy in new beginnings
- To focus on my transition is going to be so much more helpful after hearing Beth. I am never alone!
- Yes, it has made me think about issues I need to work on
- Knowing that Christ is always with us
- Yes, accept my new retirement life—seeing and reaching for new challenges and opportunities
- Food for thought and growth
- Reflecting, letting go
- Yes, learning to grow in acceptance of changes, whether good or bad
- Validates so many thoughts and feelings and experiences I’ve had. Great “food for thought” and action for the journey
- Remind me that God is not finished with me. God can only change me as fast as my heart is willing to grow
- Yes, new friends, new hope, new understanding of my future
- Yes, brought to light things that I don’t often think about. Will cause me to maybe think more and speak or act in different ways
- Yes, I am going through so many changes now
- Absolutely! It gave me new insight for my future journey in life
- Yes, as a self-evaluation
- Yes, helping me to let go of things that are burdens that cause frustration and stress
- Yes, making me think about how I feel about what I do and need to do
- In accepting change and in viewing life as an ongoing journey towards growth