Tales from the Riverbank 2024: Telling the truth

 

I have just returned from a truly special and spirit-filled weekend at The Salvation Army’s women conference called the riverbank. Often when we think about time spent at a riverbank we think of words such as refreshment, rest and restoration and this year the conference did all this for me and more besides. This year’s conference theme was ‘Truth be told’ and to start off my recap series I thought I should take the time to tell “The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!” 

The truth is I almost didn’t make it to the riverbank! up until 3pm on the Friday afternoon (and the conference started at 4pm!) I didn’t know if I would be at the conference or in the hospital awaiting surgery! At the beginning of May I had undergone an operation on my back and there had been a number of post-op complications.The last few weeks had been painful,  (both physically and emotionally) Frustrating and confusing and it had been a steep learning curve for me about trusting in God. Friday afternoon I went to see my consultant and surgeon and was given the ok to go along to the conference,  with lots of medication and the instruction to take it easy. 

The truth is I arrived at the conference feeling a little bit battered, a little bit apprehensive and a little bit worried that I was doing the right thing. However it certainly wasn’t long until all of those fears were dispelled. 

I am privileged enough to be on the Riverbank team and last year I fell into the job of assisting the venue’s tech team to help with the technical side of everything. Now this is an example of God’s sense of humour as that is definitely not where my skill set lies and I have a real problem of getting so into the worship that I forget I’m in charge of moving the song words on!! However one of the blessings of this is that I get to sit at the back and watch everything unfolding. Another of the blessings is that I get to sit by the ‘riverbank’. The conference venue is by a lake which really adds to the riverbank feel of the whole experience and I was fascinated to watch the fish and ducks on the water. 

On the first evening, during the response time, I watched two families of geese appear on the water. The first family consisted of a grown up goose at the front of the line and one at the back and in between, a number of Goslings. The babies were given lots of space and confidently swam across the water with the supervision of the grown ups. The other family consisted of two grownups with a single gosling. The baby clearly lacked in confidence and was being nurtured along. The two families came over to the decking outside of the window for the duration of the prayer time and at the end all turned around swimming back to the bank of the water and the reeds where they lived. 

As I watched the Geese I felt God gently speak to me through the picture. We are the goslings, coming to the riverbank to be fed, encouraged and changed. We have the God before us and behind guiding us and inspiring us. Through the weekend that will come in a number of ways. Through worship, teaching, friendship, laughter and tears. Some of us are like the first family, confident and enthusiastic, and some of us are like the second family, in need of more care, nurture and comfort. However we are all coming to the riverbank and will return to our own ‘banks’  and ‘reeds’ changed. 

I knew in my spirit that I was the gosling in the second family and I came to the conference needing far more than what I came to give as a team member and through the weekend I saw people encourage me and care for me, like the adult geese. The rest of the riverbank team were more than happy to do the things I couldn’t, ask me if I was ok and challenged me to take a rest when I needed it. The teaching underlined this and powerfully confronted worry, fear and sin. The worship  was truly anointed and on Saturday morning, while listening to Lucy Grimbles beautiful song ‘Still I will praise’ (which you can listen to here: Still I will praise) I knew I wasn’t the only one being ministered to in a powerful way by the Holy spirit. 

I didn’t see the geese again over the weekend until Sunday morning in the final session of celebration and testimony. As we praised God together singing another of Lucy's brilliant worship songs called thanks and praise. ( which you can listen to here: Thanks and Praise ) I looked out over the water and saw a number of the geese playing in the water and doing forward rolls under water. As I watched them I could see they had an undeniable sense of joy and freedom and looking around the room of 300 women praising God I saw the same joy and freedom in the spirit. 

In many ways I felt like on of those geese. While I was not doing literal somersaults (and nobody wants to see that!!) I was leaving the conference with a renewed sense of Joy and freedom.

I come back home to many challenges. I’m still not feeling 100% in my health, there are still the challenges of work, study, family life and all sorts of other things, but I know that I am changed, that I am free indeed and truth be told I can stand in the midst of the messiness of life and declare, as Lucy penned: 

Even in this I will trust you

Even in this I will love

Even in this you are faithful

Even in this you are God

Even when I cannot see you

Even when I feel so lost

Even then you are still faithful

Even then you'll still be God