During the final morning of the attendees’ time at the 2018 Philippines retreat, many shared “donut moments” that occurred over the past few days. Donut moments, we learned, are moments that reveal God’s presence in your life through a seemingly insignificant event.
Hearing the stories, I don’t feel adequate to truly describe the profound emotions I saw. Instead, I’d like to share a few quotes of what the women had to say about this week’s “donut moments.”
“I was praying to get my joy back because it had been robbed. I’ve laughed more in the last few days than I have for a long time.”
“In the pedicure room, at each step THEY prayed for ME. I’m not used to being the one to receive prayer but it was so powerful.”
“I was feeling crushed under expectations, as a mother and as a worker. I thought I should be seeing fruit but He spoke to me through counseling and conversations. Now, I feel free.”
“I’d been robbed of the joy of giving because it becomes so normal in my daily life and work. But here, all these women were pouring into me; I was able to receive, and feel joy to give back to them.”
“Thank you for pouring into us, pampering, and serving us! Almond Joy, tortilla soup, and a hotel room with a bathtub and shower (with water pressure!) were all donut moments for me. I soaked in the bathtub with worship music on for 1 ½ hours!”
Many women described their thankfulness at being placed in a group of kindred spirits, with members who felt like “friends for life,” not women they had only met 4 days ago. One stated, “I learned something from every member of my small group” and many saw God’s divine orchestration in the selection of their members.
Whether the donut moment is a favorite candy or Velveeta cheese, purple lipstick or red nail polish, being poured into instead of always pouring out; whether the telling of it brought laughter or tears, each attendee and volunteer has been transformed by this retreat.
When was the last time you knew, without any doubt, that you contributed to someone’s donut moment? My new answer is “now.”
©2018 Thrive