What the heck is a Tres Dias?!

Several years ago I signed up to attend a women's weekend retreat. Tres Dias. 3 days with God. Those who I knew were a part of it, wouldn't tell me much about it other than how amazing it was. They continued to encourage me to be "open minded" which only furthered my suspicions of this being some kind of crazy backwoods cult. 

This is the actual photo from this very day.

The day I was prepping to go, my daughter, Sophia, laid on my bathroom floor running a fever of 104 degrees. She was crying to her mommy not to leave her. Yeah, you can imagine the overwhelming guilt I was feeling and readiness to abandon this whole cult weekend. But, Mike had just gone through on the men's weekend (the men have their own Tres Dias weekend before the women have theirs.) and he was on fire! He was insistent that I go, no matter what. He assured me that he would be there taking the best care of Sophia. 

Ok, I don't know if you know my husband or not. But, those of you who do, know that he very rarely insists on anything. The few times he has a strong opinion on some decision that needs to be made, I listen up, because in those times he is rarely wrong. He's like Silent Bob. (If you don't know who Silent Bob is, then I'm sorry.) He rarely speaks up, but when he does it's profound and incredible. 

Well I made Mike promise to take Sophia to the hospital when Tylenol wouldn't touch her fever. As his car turned right out of our neighborhood to go to the hospital, my friend's car turned left to take me to a far away campground in the middle of the woods, probably to never be seen again. 

Once I got to the camp, my friend took my cell phone (I don't wear a watch because it makes me feel like I'm in handcuffs (I know it's weird- I feel the same about socks- it all makes me feel like I'm in prison), or she would've taken that too) and they ushered me into a room with a bunch of other women. Some were chatting and smiling and laughing, clearly they knew each other. Some, like me, were nervous and apprehensive. Looking around, wondering who was safe enough for me to survive this weekend with. 

Ok, I realize that I am talking like TD is a crazy weird place where they sacrifice your first born, but it's not. That is simply how I felt. I was in a strange place with new people. I had all control taken from me (guys- I know you might be unaware, but I am a massive control freak- this was the first time God really began to show me the beauty and freedom of being out of control) and my daughter was in a hospital somewhere probably dying of meningitis. So my nerves were shot and my attitude was sour. I didn't want to like any of these women who were all so well put together. Their hair was perfect, makeup on point, clothes off a mannequin somewhere. They were all better than me. They were all definitely closer to Jesus. Or so my judgmental mind chose to think at the time. 

By the end of the weekend, these women became my family. They had appeared to have something I didn't, and it was true. They knew a deep joy and love of God that I hadn't yet experienced the day I arrived. But when I left, y'all I looked just like them! The joy of the Lord was beaming from me! I had a sparkle in my eye because I had just spent 3 days being whispered to by my Abba Daddy. I had been served, loved, cared for, spoken kindly too, and honored like I had never before in my life. These people showed me who Jesus really is. They did all this for me without wanting anything in return. I had never known a love like that. 

By Sunday I was probably dehydrated from the massive crying that I did all weekend. Healing waters poured from my eyes as my Father took my broken heart that I had glued together, and gently cleaned out the dark spots and made it whole again. I learned so much and I am pretty sure I cried/talked my husband's ear off for days about what happened there. 

I went back to serve and it just got better. I have been committed to serving TD ever since. Even moving to Wisconsin, we found Minnesota Tres Dias and I have served just about every one since I got here. There are imperfect people, like me, who serve. These people make mistakes and they trip and sometimes fall on their faces. But, we are people. We are fallible. And God has reminded me that He uses each of us and He continues to show up and show out each time despite us.

I fully believe in this ministry called Tres Dias. I believe in the surprises and mystery surrounding it. I believe God doesn't want us to be in control, but to give it to Him and trust Him with it. I believe if we were told all that happened by our friends and family, then we would enter the weekend with an expectation and we would wind up totally missing what God has specifically for us. He speaks to each person in their own individual way. In His wisdom, He knows that we all have different needs and He wants to provide them tenderly and gently. I am beyond grateful for this ministry and I encourage you to attend a weekend. I promise it will change you for the better. It will open your eyes to greater things and bring you exponentially closer to your Abba Father who desires an intimacy with you like you've never known. 

Oh, and by the way.... Mike told me later, by the time he arrived with Sophia to the hospital, her fever was completely gone. She was her silly playful self, like nothing had happened. Thankfully I trust my husband's leading enough to listen even when I don't agree or don't want too. He knew something that I couldn't understand at the time. He knew it was all a ploy of the enemy to stop me from going and discovering who God really is. So, we won. And every time we choose to trust God, we win again. 

 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.  How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked,because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”

 Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

 And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

-Exodus 33:14-19