If you were not seated in the CLR Auditorium of the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operativeStudies, Valsayn, on the afternoon ofSeptember 23, you missed out, big time!
On that occasion, the women of the Port of Spain Church of Christ hosted a phenomenal evening of spiritual healing and empowerment for the women of Trinidad and Tobago. They came in droves from all walks of life, and sat poised in eager anticipation as the Seminar, aptly titled “Grace Calls….Power to Overcome”, began. And the dynamic cast, led by esteemed author and speaker, Robin Weidner of the US, that promised a life-transforming experience, absolutely did not disappoint!
Robin, an overcomer of abandonment, addiction and abuse, shared her life story in scattered segments. She bared much of her heart and soul to her audience, and the women, in wide-eye awe, lapped up her raw and real openness about her life struggles.
We appreciated her many biblical insights, as she guided us through an exciting journey to spiritual recovery from our present and past traumas and tragedies. This victory, she promised, could be achieved through a well-designed, life-changing process of spiritual re-creation by the Master Creator, God himself.
On this journey, Robin explored with us, three different phases of healing – Darkness, Re-creation and Rest. She helped us discover within these phases, 12 Stones of spiritual recovery: – Trauma, Thorns, Triggers, Tears, Warfare, Dignity, Acceptance, Sanctuary, Pain Trading, Forgiveness, Empathy and Hope. She shared that she got her inspiration from the story of the 12 stones of Gilgal (which means “circle of stones”), in the Book of Joshua. Gilgal was a place near Jericho where the Israelites camped soon after crossing the Jordan River. God had instructed them to set up an altar of 12 stones (representative of the 12 tribes of Israel) as a reminder to all peoples of His great power to accomplish what no one else can. In this case, God had dried up the river to enable the Israelites to cross over. We were encouraged by Robin to have our own personal Circle of Stones to celebrate our victories over life’s many thorny issues. These, she shared, could also serve to constantly remind us of God’s presence, His grace and miraculous works in our lives.
The rest of the evening offered an array of acts, ranging from personal testimonies of spiritual healings to a spoken word treat and, a fine mixture of inspiring and pore-raising songs performed by the Port of Spain Church of Christ All-Female Chorale.
As all great things do though, the curtains came down, the evening ended, and an awesome time was had by all. Having experienced this journey, the women of Trinidad and Tobago went away with a fresh perspective on the amazing grace of God; a grace that will empower them to have greater victories, eradicate shame from their lives and reclaim their dignity, as they face current and future challenges.
Refreshed and re-energized they will, we hope, stand firmly on their Stones of Spiritual Recovery, poised to grab hold of every golden opportunity to refresh others. They will do this by sharing their own victory stories, which will prayerfully motivate other women to embrace the inner joy, peace and priceless freedom reserved for all wounded healers on this journey called Life!