Testimony fromDonna Bell Sanders
I came to Refresh, Restore, Renew 2020 (the Online Retreat sponsored by Redwood Christian Ashram) wanting peace and healing. This past year has been a difficult one for everyone on the planet and it had been especially hard for me and my family. Everything happening in the big world had been very real for us. We had been blessed and opened up because of the suffering and the way we saw God working in it; but it had definitely been a struggle and I personally had felt very flattened by it all. I needed to surrender the weight I had been needlessly carrying. I needed direction and energy and power to do what God has in store for me to do. By the end of the week I was praising God for the lifting of burdens. Here’s part of what I shared during our time of Overflowing Heart.
“In addition to the personal burdens I mentioned at the beginning of the week, I had an unexpected household burden come up this week that was immediately relieved. I saw how God provided for my need before it even manifested. In addition, my children stepped alongside me to help clean my home and make much needed repairs. Another burden lifted. Their compassionate care has been such a blessing this week. Each facet of this retreat has been such a blessing to me — a true vehicle of the Holy Spirit. Through the teaching, the sharing, my prayer group, and my quiet time with God, I’ve felt the burdens I’ve been carrying lifted. Just being able to name my needs and lay them at His feet and being connected to other seekers after God’s heart has truly brought me out of the malaise I’ve been struggling with. I praise God for this time together. I feel 1000% lighter and I’m so grateful that God has a plan and a purpose that I can trust and fully inhabit. Jesus is truly Lord!!”
