An unexpected beginning to a weekend retreat

September 16, 2026

I came home from my overnight shift—packed my bag—and departed with two friends at 12:40, just as they predicted.  Right away, we had a meaningful experience.  Julie, a friend with a butterfly garden with plants to attract a variety of butterflies, handed me a jar to place in the backseat.  The jar contained some butterfly pupae hanging on the branch—and two Monarch butterflies that had just emerged.  She had in mind taking the jar to see this story of the butterflies unfolding.

Can you believe the T-shirt I chose to wear?  It’s from Vacation Bible School a year ago.  Read the words under the picture.  How perfect is that?

After arriving at our retreat destination two hours away, we unpacked and met the other members from our church group who were arriving.  Julie suggested we have a ceremony and let the butterflies free.  So we went to a beautiful setting outside our dormitory with trees all around and an attached porch where we could gather.  She invited other attendees to join us.  We had a prayer.

She opened the jar and the butterflies flew out and landed on open hands.  After visiting with us, the beautiful, winged creatures flew up and away.

We agreed this was a great picture of what we hoped for at our weekend retreat.  Earlier in the trip we discussed the meaning of this metamorphosis—and how the Bible uses a word derived from that word—the word transformed.   

We recalled again at this beautiful sight that the Bible tells us:

“And be not conformed to this world:

but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind

that you may prove what is that good,

and acceptable,

and perfect will of God.”

We agreed that we would venture into this weekend retreat with the hope and intention of allowing God to transform our thinking and help us to grow further in knowing what His good, acceptable and perfect will is.

The retreat theme was “connections” and the opening statement by our main speaker was: “May this time together be more about transformation than information.”

She said people are lonely.  Learn to listen.  She told the story of the day Jesus came to town and four friends carried their paralyzed friend on a pallet to be healed—but they could not get to Jesus because of the crowds.  So they pulled the tiles back on the roof and lowered their friend down to Jesus’ feet and he was healed.   

Our speaker said the friends chose to act with urgency.  She shared a story of friends gathering around her in an urgent situation and praying for her.  She challenged us to be like those friends whom she called “crash through the roof friends.”

In our breakout session, the speaker said we are to reflect God’s character by listening.  A verse in Psalms says: “He inclines His ear to me.”  She said to consider the stories of Jesus listening.

And another breakout session featured our pastor’s wife who challenged us to consider the characteristics of each generation—from baby boomers (that’s me) to Gen X to Millennials to Gen Z and to Gen Alpha!  Do we know these distinctions?  She emphasized that “every woman has something to give—and something to receive.”

Even a comedy segment featured a lady who shared of the power in her life of women who came alongside her after tumultuous growing-up years.

You can see how the butterfly theme at the beginning of our retreat was fitting and was a wonderful beginning to a spiritual retreat!