The Destination Retreat is a little more than a week away. And, as my mom put it last week, we are facing a Gideon situation with our attendance.

For one reason or another, women who had planned to join us are now unable to. Our attendance has dropped to less than half of the numbers we originally anticipated and contracted with the Ponderosa Retreat Center.

I share this for two reasons:

1.     To let you know that it is not too late to sign up and join us for an awesome Spirit-led weekend in fellowship with Christian sisters. Contact me or visit our website for more details.

2.     To remind you and myself that if we place things in God’s hands—In the Hands of the Divine Gardner—as we will be studying next weekend, things don’t always go as we would plan or meet the potential we thought was needed. But God is always in control and will be the one glorified.

Gideon was going to face the Midianites with an army of thirty-two thousand men, but God said it was too many—that if he gave the Midianites into their hands, Israel would boast that it was by their own strength. So God whittled down the army from thirty-two thousand to three hundred (Judges 7).

And when Gideon doubted God’s strength and purpose, God allowed Gideon to overhear something in the enemy camp that calmed his fears and quieted his doubts.

God was patient with Gideon and his doubts time and again (see also Judges 6).

So, today, join me in thanking God for his patience with us, and for calming our fears and frustrations when they arise.

I am trusting his plan through the Destination Retreat—no matter how much whittling of the attendance, no matter what doubts come my way. May God get all the glory.