Today there is a buzz of anticipation as we finish preparing for our attendees to arrive tomorrow! At our retreats we make it a priority to love and encourage these women in every area of their lives: including through pedicures. A large part of this afternoon was spent in the pedicure room: prepping, practicing, and praying. Providing pedicures for these women is about so much more than just painting nails. Hear from Ruth Ann, a volunteer who has a special place in her heart for the pedicure room:
Passion for Pedicures
A couple years ago, I volunteered in the pedicure room on my first THRIVE retreat. I was skeptical….in why we were doing this…and of my own ability to paint toes. I have never been a “girly” girl, but I was willing to help with whatever was needed. But, I quickly saw we don’t offer pedicures at a THRIVE retreat because that’s what you “DO” at women’s retreats. Rather, everything we do at a THRIVE retreat is intentional. Today during pedicure training, I was so excited to share with the new volunteers how the pedicure room is about way more than just pampering and pretty toes. Although those things are great and important, we are also using them as a springboard to create a place for the 50 attendees to be encouraged in deep ways.
- A place for healing laughter.
- A place for their beauty to be celebrated…because we all need to be reminded that we have a beautiful God who has made us beautifully unique.
- A place to encourage through appropriate physical touch.
- A place to hear and treasure their stories. Because they come with deep stories…and often without having friends to hear their stories.
- A place for prayer… because we know that our beloved Father is the one who will cherish and redeem the hard and beautiful experiences of the attendees. In the pedicure room we get the awesome privilege of being their advocate before our Father as we paint their toes and pray with them.
So, this girl who was not so sure about helping to do pedicures four years ago found herself today so excited for the privilege of facilitating an environment where our Father can say to these attendees through this simply act of painting toes, “I love you deeply, I treasure your story, and I have not forgotten you.”
