Have You Been to the Mountaintop with God?

Ellen Mongan encourages Catholic wives and moms to take regular times of retreat and grow in both faith and friendship.

Have you ever been to the mountaintop with God? What a story you must be able to tell! Your life has never the same again. You were transformed and wanted to stay forever.

There are times in our lives when Jesus asks us to go to the mountaintop and meet Him. Mountaintop experiences give you a chance to quiet your soul and hear Jesus speak a little clearer than in the busyness of everyday life.

On the journey, ask God to give you sisters to accompany you. He did that for me, Anne, Debbie, and Pat! I encourage you to take a journey of your own with three of your closest friends to the mountaintop with Jesus. Be sure and ask Jesus to be your retreat master.

This past weekend we returned to Hendersonville, North Carolina, our friend Anne's parents' mountain home. In this home, our journey began thirty years ago. Anne’s dad, David Castle, built this home himself. It is significant because in this home God began building our sisterhood. We asked Jesus to be our Retreat Master, and He said, “Yes!”

Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build. (Psalm 127:1)

Build it He did!

When our journey began, we were four Catholic wives and mothers in our thirties living out our faith in a Christian community named Alleluia. On that first retreat, we had no idea that we were walking in a move of God in our lives. God transformed us from friends to sisters in Christ! God has changed us, healed us, and drawn us closer to Him along the way. We have laughed together, cried together, been pregnant together, raised our children together, shared our lives, shared our wisdom, shared our hearts, and most importantly shared our faith.

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We have learned to trust each other’s correction, along with encouragement which has resulted in tremendous growth. God has called us to set our hearts on Him alone, surrendering our lives to Him. With Jesus as our retreat master, and the hand of Christ reaching out through our sisters, our retreats have become a place where the fruit is abundant.

A friend is a friend at all times, and a brother [sister] is born for the time of adversity. (Proverbs 17:17)

These women have cheered me on when I rejoiced and held me up in prayer when trials came. They have encouraged me and corrected me, in love. They have stood by me no matter what life has brought my way. God has used them in my life for His glory. Our sisterhood has stood the test of time and has been the adventure of a lifetime. No two retreats are alike, but they are all centered around prayer, the sacraments, and our walk with Jesus.

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Mountaintop experiences give you a chance to quiet your soul and hear Jesus speak a little clearer than in the busyness of everyday life. #CatholicMom

Built into our retreats each year is some fun. This time we visited Carl Sandburg’s home. We asked a lady walking by to take some pictures who turned out to be a professional photographer. God always provides! Sometimes we get to know people who the Lord leads in our path. This year we met a priest of the Eastern rite, his wife Katie, and their six children. We spoke to a waitress who had lost a son. When Debbie said, “God sees you!” her countenance changed. Also, this year we viewed wedding pictures of Anne’s son Matthew, and his wife, Mailys. They were married in France! After viewing the photos, we all felt like we were there at the wedding. Anne’s daughter-in-law Becca and husband Dylan were awaiting the birth of their sixth child. We prayed all weekend for them. Boniface, their sixth son, was born on the last day of our retreat. We all rejoiced.

In our younger days, Pat used to point out a group of old and gray women in a foursome, like us. With joy and a smile on her face, she would say, “That is going to be us when we get to be that age.” All four of us laughed in agreement. I smiled secretly thinking and questioning God, “Are we all really going to be that old one day?” Now many years later, she was right, we are those people! We are older, grayer, and wiser because of the journey God has led us on to the mountaintop. There is no denying it is a work of God.