by Emi Padla

On May 1, 2009, 35 of our church ladies gathered at ICS’ Fellowship Hall, from 6:00 p.m till early the next morning for our Retreat. The Women’s Fellowship (WF), headed by Nila Gomez, Choleen Lema, Mae Ann Balbuena, and Emily Mercado, planned this event as early as five months prior. It was meant to be an all-night introspection and renewal of one’s commitment to the Lord. The women were asked to retreat, to go back, trace their paths, and evaluate their walk with God.

A buffet table filled with food – fruits, nuts and veggies, freshly cooked diningding and steamed rice – beckoned us to enjoy God’s bounty. When we had had our fill, we cleared the tables and gathered around in a small circle for an intimate time of praise and worship to the Lord, led by Sis. Linda Tolentino. There is always something about this lady leading in worship. Almost instantly, we could feel His Presence become a palpable reality in our midst. Surely the Lord was pleased to see His daughters gathered for worship.

Pastor Jesse Dedel, our speaker for the night, shared very briefly from a teaching he had just listened to by Lisa Bevere entitled “Confident Women Fight Like a Girl”. He reminded us that our role is not to outdo the men, or to prove that we can do better than men. Though not inferior to men, women were designed to be able helpers to their husbands, in loving submission to their leadership. Then, from the first chapter of 1 Samuel, he exhorted us to let our crises in life bring us closer to God, just as Hannah cried out to the Lord in utter desperation of her being shamefully childless. He warned that in crisis times, the easy thing to do would be to question God, or to ask, “Why me, Lord?” instead of yielding to His often confounding ways. Pastor Jesse also admonished us to be willing to give up our dreams in favor of God’s purposes. He cited Hannah who, when finally blessed by God with a child, offered up her son Samuel to the temple priest and left him there to serve God.

After Ptr. Jesse, I was prepared to share a few things I learned when I lost my dear mother last August. It surely was no coincidence that the lessons I learned served to confirm what Pastor Jesse preached on before me. As to why Mommy had to suffer physically, there were no easy answers, but God’s comfort was four-fold: 1) Mommy was dying in the midst of family who loved her, Jesus died in the midst of enemies whose triumph was to see him die. 2) Mommy was dying with all the comfort that drugs and hospital confinement could provide, Jesus died with all the pain and shame that the worst criminal deserved. 3) Mommy died so she could have life, Jesus died to give that life. 4) Mommy would be received by God, Jesus was forsaken by God. In the end, I felt terribly ashamed for having questioned God’s ways. In complete submission to His will, I felt assured God was in control, and I came out knowing God just a little bit more.

Sis. Yoly Santos led us to meditate on Ephesians 4 and to individually wait on God for a message. After a few minutes spent in quiet prayer and meditation, each in her chosen spot – in the fellowship hall, the foyer, or the Young Adults’ room – the women reconvened to hear each other’s fresh revelations from the Lord. Each one shared what He had impressed upon her heart, and no one was exempt. It was so encouraging to hear, for instance, that Sis. Tess Villegas recently experienced injustice at the courts of law yet remained hopeful that God was aware of her situation and would not let her down. Sis. Mira Olanday shared how she is constantly challenged to believe and trust in God alone, and how that strengthens her faith in our loving Master. Sis. Noi Rodriguez’ involvement in her tai chi group enables her to practice being more Christ-like so she can be a living testimony of Jesus’ love in that group. Sis. Nila Gomez’s childhood experiences only served to heighten the love that she experienced when she met the Lord, married Egay, and raised her own family and joined church.

So many other stories lifted our spirits and encouraged our faith as we listened to how God was changing wrong attitudes and bad habits. We shared our stories till way past midnight, by which time some of the ladies were tired. A few took a nap, while the rest of us fellowshipped on into the morning as we munched on peanuts, green mangoes, melon seeds, and pop corn in between sips of coffee or tea. By 6 a.m., we headed for home, filled with a renewed sense of God’s continuing work in our lives.