Last weekend, I had the privilege of attending Created for Care -- a weekend retreat in North Georgia for "moms who share the spirit of adoption." It's a time to be refreshed in the Lord, to be equipped, and to connect, encourage and be encouraged by other adoptive and foster moms from all over the country. There is simply nothing like it! You even get the opportunity to connect with moms who you've only met virtually...like YWAM moms!
It is amazing how close we adoptive moms can become, even when we've never met in person. There is so much laughter, tears, joy, encouragement and hope shared over the weekend, it's hard to even process it all. But you come away refreshed and encouraged, filled with hope as you go home to walk in your calling as a wife and mother.
Some of my favorite moments on the retreat are always the worship times. It's impossible to describe what it's like to worship the Lord with 450 other moms who have the same heartbeat you do. I was overwhelmed so many times as I looked around the room and saw so many women who had said yes with reckless abandon to care for the fatherless. And we were all lifting our voices in unison to the One who loves more extravagantly than we could ever imagine. Beyond the worship times, there were many opportunities to connect with the Lord (with no interruptions!), and that is simply priceless.
This year's theme was "Love Big." So many of the sessions helped us adoptive and foster moms better understand our children and how to love them big, even when it's hard. However, much of the weekend also focused on God's big love for us as moms. Yes, God sees every pain, every loss, every struggle of our children. But He also sees us as adoptive moms. Our children are precious in His sight, but this weekend helped so many of us moms remember that we are precious in His sight also and that He cares deeply for us. If you need refreshing and encouraging as an adoptive mom (and also just want to have a lot of fun!), you need to mark your calendars for next year. You won't regret it!
You can read more about Created for Care at their website here and start saving to go next year!
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