Simplified

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi. I posted this earlier today as a Facebook Note, but I decided it was worth editing slightly and posting here as well

(I was gonna title this 'Stripped Down', but, well, I thought that would bring the wrong connotation)

It wasn't a question of whether or not I would attend the 'Bridentity Women's Conference' at one of our church's satellite campuses. I knew I needed to go.

It is an honor and a blessing to serve in the house, but I gotta tell ya, it's a sweet refreshing to be in a place where I can just receive without necessarily being on the lookout for what needs to be done.

Because we all need an objective word...a confirmation or warning or correction or encouragement from our physical as well as our spiritual ears from time to time.

How many of us women would just die of romantic bliss if our respective hubbies whisked us away for a weekend with minimal luggage/preparation...because the time was to be spent in intimate communion, not sight seeing or visiting fancy places or doing anything but spending time in each other's presence? I didn't know that's what Bridentity would be for me in a spiritual sense.

I inquired about carpooling but didn't find any one else who was going, so I just drove myself over for the conference. Sure, it'd be late when I got home Friday night, and I'd have to get up and leave early on Saturday morning, but I had a feeling it would be worth it. I knew I had to go.

50 rainy minutes after I pulled out of my driveway, I pulled into the parking lot of at the satellite church. I went in and hung out in the lobby for a bit, waiting on the sanctuary to open. Amongst the visiting and chatting, the pastor, a long-time friend, welcomed me and asked where I was staying. Somewhat surprised, I replied, 'Home!' He told me that there were several ladies staying at a local retreat center and encouraged me to just stay with them.

Stay overnight? I didn't bring ANYTHING to stay the night...and I'd just used my last check in the bookstore. Yeah, it'd be *nice* not to make a late drive in the rain back to town, but, well, it wasn't practical. I'd have to wear the same clothes tomorrow...I didn't have a toothbrush....

"I'm sure that can be taken care of!" he countered. "Seriously, you should stay with them."

I smiled my 'oh, that's sweet' smile and said I'd think about it. Which I did, for about 20 seconds. Wear the same clothes two days in a row to a women's conference? Uhn-uh!

Once the sanctuary doors opened, I found a seat and put my purse and Bible down, then ran into the ladies who were staying at the retreat facility. They invited me to sit with them, then asked where I was staying. They got the same answer I gave to the pastor, 'Home!'

"No!" They were insistent. "You don't need to drive back and forth! There's plenty of room at the Cove...you need to stay with us!"

I gave them the same protest...slightly more detailed...that I gave to the Pastor. I wasn't prepared to stay the night. I didn't have anything for the next day. Anything.

But they were not going to be put off. "We can get you what you need!" they said. "There's a Wal-Mart up the road...it wouldn't be difficult at all to pick up a couple of necessities!"

The service was about to start, so I rather lamely agreed to 'think about it'. And, this time I did. Was this something God meant for me? Wouldn't it be humiliating to not change clothes? Everyone else looked so pulled together...

After worship were the opening remarks. And one of the things said was that this weekend was to be a weekend of simplification...of stripping down and away that which was unnecessary.

So. I saw the point. After the service, I called My Sweet Baboo and he said he wondered if I'd want to stay and gave me his blessing. And a $16 charge at Wal-Mart later I had what was minimally necessary to spend the night. I laughed at my luggage when I got to the Cove and unloaded...one Wal-Mart bag.

And do you know, one of the ladies at the cabin made a comment while we were there that provoked a paradigm shift. She wasn't talking to me or about me, but her statement about using God's time for something other than God echoed in my spirit. It was a word I needed to hear.

I'd inadvertently left my notebook at home, so the only thing I had for note taking was the 3x5 notepad in the conference bag. Normally, I write pages of notes...I had to limit myself to nuggets only. As a result, I realized that there are times when I almost 'hide' behind my journaling; being the recorder and not the participant. Not having the journal, I had to make sure I listened with all my ears so as to remember as much as I could and I couldn't shift my focus to writing when I got uncomfortable.

Consequently, I don't have the details on everything...just the outstanding points. Stripped down to the essentials.

But I am going to be processing those essentials for a while. I don't want to miss any lesson from my simplified weekend.