Rejoicing in Hope

Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
- Romans 12:12

This past weekend, my husband and I went on retreat.  We try to go once a year. The grandparents enjoy spending the weekend with the grandchildren.  The grandchildren enjoy spending the weekend at their grandparents. We enjoy spending time with God, both alone and as a couple.   However, I always feel like the week before the retreat or the weekend getaway is always a trying one.  This past week was no exception with all the snow, meetings to attend and errands to be done.  Add to that the prep work and packing and I was slowly losing that joy.

Rejoice in hope...

Last Tuesday, it snowed.  Roads were a mess.  I made a list of all the things that had to be done for the upcoming weekend.  I also made a list for all the things that had to be done for the March for Life on the Monday after the retreat.  I had to do as much as I could since we'd be getting home on Sunday afternoon.  It left us a short amount of time to pack.
I did the laundry and the older children packed their own bags.  I packed the bags of our three year old. 

Rejoice in hope...

On Wednesday, I had to prepare for a book club meeting.  I packed medicines.  I've learned the hard way that it is necessary to gather cough/cold/fever medicines.  The time you don't pack them, is the time that they will be needed at 3 am.  I filled out  an emergency authorization paper and gathered the insurance cards. 

Rejoice in hope...

On Thursday I made cranberry muffins and brownies for the children to bring to their grandparents.  I made extra for the book club meeting that night.  I also packed extra food so my parents weren't eaten out of their home. 

Rejoice in hope...

On Friday morning, we awoke to snow on the ground.  I packed my bag and went over the list several times. By 2:15 pm, the car was packed with sleeping bags, pillows, back packs, bags of food, art supplies, books, DVDs, and medicines.  We were ready to go to my parents' home. 

After making sure everyone was settled, I headed back home.  I could now really start to think about my time with God and my husband for the next few days.  I turned on the Christian rock station. The tension from the drive up started to melt away. The music had me tapping my hands on the steering wheel.  I turned up the volume and sang. 

Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na
Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na

Waves of mercy, waves of grace

Everywhere I look, I see your face
Your love has captured me
Oh, my God, this love how can it be?

I was singing and rejoicing in the hope of what this weekend would do for my relationship with God and my husband.  By the time I got home, I no longer felt tired but rather, rejuvenated, full of excitement in the hope of strengthening my love for God.  Shortly there after, my husband arrived.  We were ready to start our retreat. Together we rejoiced in the hope of  hearing what God wanted to whisper to our hearts.