The Be Still Workshop Part 2
Earlier this month we shared Abby’s story about the Be Still workshop, and today Kylie’s sharing from her heart. If you’ve been thinking or praying about attending a Delight event, settle in – because this might be the post for you.
It’s been a few months since the Delight Be Still Intensive, and a month ago Kristin asked me to share my experience. This past month I kept telling myself that I would write, and each day that passed I would say to myself, “What the heck am I going to say about my experience at Delight?” This great experience is too hard to put into words, but today as I write about the most amazing experience of my life, I’m going to let Jesus explode onto this blog post. I’m going to pray that it encourages girls to travel to a retreat, because it will seriously be a little bit of heaven. I pray that it feels almost as if Jesus is sitting by you and nudging you to attend a retreat. And I hope you accept, because it will change you for the better and make your life a bit more joyful, I guarantee it.
Does your heart long for Jesus, and is the Lord calling you to go to a retreat? If so, the experience will fill you with love, laughter, and God’s presence, because this is the place where The Lord has called you to be. Let me tell you about my experience and who I am: I’m probably one of the most insecure people ever, I get very scared when I meet new people , and I become extremely nervous going into an unknown place. I was very hesitant to go to this retreat and to meet girls all around the U.S. I thought I would be the odd one out and that I would be judged for being me. I started thinking, “Is this even worth me going? I have so much to do, do I even have time?”
Here’s a quick side story: the day before I left for the intensive, I went through my instagram and deleted pictures because I thought I would be judged when I got to the intensive (well that was kind of dumb). But I felt the need to go and so I did. And boy, was I wrong about everything. My crazy thoughts were complete lies. I was immediately welcomed at the Delight House and those lies left my mind. I was given the biggest hug by a leader, which was the most heartwarming thing, and the house was surrounded with The Lord. It was like I was welcomed by a family member that I had never met before. I knew that she and I would become lifelong friends as soon as I walked in. Why? Because we had one of the deepest conversation that I have ever had in my 18 years of life, within 10 minutes of me knocking on the door! The bond was a bond that didn’t even seem real.
As the other Delight girls showed up at the Delight house, my nerves kicked in again. I thought, “What am I doing here?” But by the time we were all settled in to the most cozy, Jesus-filled, happy, and joyful house, we were like sisters. All of our hearts were on fire for one thing: Jesus. It was that night that I realized that The Lord has blessed me with this awesome time with the sweetest of girls. I even felt that I did not deserve to be at the retreat. The Delight house is filled with the most encouraging signs, the most delicious foods, the cutest cups that say “Delight,” and a beautiful wooden table for all of us to gather around to pray, laugh, and share our hearts. Oh, and not to mention the most beautiful view of God’s creation when you take a step outside. From the living room that housed our shed tears, to the deep conversations every night, His presence was shown through all of the girls who were blessed to walk into the most beautiful house.
During my time in Pateros, Washington, I witnessed the true meaning of what God does in people’s lives. I had the honor and privilege of sharing my testimony that I never shared with anyone before. I hadn’t even shared it with my mom who is my best friend. During our time together, God overflowed in all of our hearts by bringing us together, growing us closer to Him, staying up until 3:00 in the morning, and sharing our stories with one another. We drank coffee, laughed hard, and cried harder in a house that welcomed us with acceptance, love, grace, and forgiveness. The Delight House was created to have girls grow in their relationship with God, find who they are, connect them with friends who are truly there for them, and introduce them to leaders who almost resemble their mothers. I truly believe that it’s God’s way of showing the world that Jesus is so real and that he has laid down his life for these things to happen. Through all the chaos of life, Delight relieves all the stress, and allows Jesus to be brought into our lives. This retreat allowed us to become more faithful, loving, courageous, and confident women of God. It has truly has left a mark in my heart forever.
My time at the retreat brought me the most precious relationships that are held close to my heart, a growth in my faith in The Lord, and the best leaders. There really is no other way to say it, but it was pure Jesus. It’s that simple. From the dirt under the house, to the pipes, to the oven, to the beds, to the girls He brought into the house, everything reminded me of Jesus. And it’s all because of The Lord.
Jesus was so powerful during our time together. For example, we were all worshipping in the front yard while holding hands and crying. Through the beautiful sound of us all singing to the Lord, Jesus came to me and put this into my heart: “For you will be okay, be content with your journey, and know that I am your God. 2 Corinthians 2:16.” Seriously, it was freaky, but I knew it was God at work.
I was encouraged countless times by what The Lord can truly do in us. Let me ask you, do you struggle with ever being still in The Lord’s presence, because you are caught up in the everyday things? Because I’m right there with you and I have always come up with an excuse of not reading scripture or even taking five minutes to pray. I would always tell myself, “I don’t need to take time to pray or to continue my relationship with The Lord because He loves me anyway.” Was I wrong or what? Let me tell you, the Delight intensive definitely changed that in me, and the experience made all of my everyday worries just disappear. Not because you literally sit and worship God, but because God longs for you to Be Still in His presence. And that’s exactly what I did with my time at the Be Still intensive. Through just being still, He will pour His love into you. My experience at the Be Still Intensive has helped me continue to grow in a new and deeper relationship with The Lord. I now take at least 10 minutes out of my day to at least say thank you to the Lord and to read Scripture. The intensive also taught me so much more than to continue to pour your heart out to the Lord, but it also taught me that my Lord is my Father, and He loves me for me even through my darkest of thoughts or actions. To literally Be Still and to seek Jesus, that is what the intensive helped me grow in. I really encourage you to pray about going to a retreat or intensive because you will be changed forever.
Kylie is a recent high school graduate, who’s headed to EWU to study special education/nursing this month. Her dream is to open her own clinic for kids and those with special needs; in the meantime, Kylie loves baking, hiking, fishing, boating, and camping. She’s gone through many medical trials in her short 18 years of life, but through it all she has grown a relationship with God, and she says always falls more in love with him everyday. Connect with Kylie in our Facebook community, or leave her some love in the comments!
