There's a Chair Waiting for You

Good morning,

As I was praying about this year's BAM TransformHER Retreat, I found myself thinking about something that surprised me. It wasn't the beautiful shoreline of Gulf Shores or the peaceful sound of the waves rolling onto the sand. It wasn't the workshops we would share, the conversations that would unfold around the table, or even the moments of worship I know will change lives. The image God continued to place before me was something much simpler than that. It was an empty chair.

At first, I couldn't understand why. Out of everything He could have shown me, why would He keep bringing me back to one empty chair? The more I prayed, the more I realized that a chair is never just a chair. It represents a place prepared for someone. It represents belonging. It represents an invitation. It quietly says, "Someone thought enough of you to save a place where you would be welcomed."

I couldn't help but wonder if that's how God sees us. So many women spend their lives believing they have to earn a seat at the table, prove their worth, or become someone different before they deserve to rest. Yet throughout Scripture, we see a God who continually prepares places for His people long before they arrive. He prepares the way. He prepares the promise. He prepares the purpose. Sometimes, I think He even prepares the chair.

Perhaps that's why this retreat has always been so personal to me. It has never simply been about gathering women in one location. It's about creating a place where women can finally exhale. A place where they don't have to wear a mask or pretend they have everything together. A place where they can sit with a warm cup of coffee in their hands, open the pages of their journal, listen to the rhythm of the ocean, and allow God to speak to the parts of their hearts that have been drowned out by the noise of everyday life.

I can already picture the moments we'll share together. Women praying over one another without hesitation. Conversations that begin with tears and end with hope. Laughter that fills the room because burdens have finally become lighter. Quiet mornings where God gently restores hearts that have been carrying far more than anyone else ever realized. These are the moments that never make it onto a schedule, yet they often become the moments women remember for years to come.

Transformation rarely happens because of one powerful message. More often, it happens because a woman finally slows down long enough to hear the whisper of God again. It happens when she creates space for healing instead of continuing to carry yesterday's pain. It happens when she gives herself permission to believe that the next chapter of her life can be different from the last. It happens when she realizes she doesn't have to walk the journey alone.

That is why I've intentionally kept this retreat intimate. Only eleven women will gather with me this October because I never wanted this experience to feel crowded or rushed. I wanted every woman to feel known. I wanted every conversation to matter. I wanted every prayer to be personal. Most of all, I wanted every woman to leave believing she had been seen by God in a fresh and unforgettable way.

As I finish writing this letter, I keep coming back to that same image of the empty chair. Maybe it has been waiting for someone who has been praying for clarity. Maybe it belongs to a woman who has spent years pouring into everyone else while quietly neglecting herself. Maybe it has been waiting for someone who has almost convinced herself that it's too late to dream again.

Or maybe that chair has been waiting for you.

If your heart has been longing for a place to reset, to heal, to realign your life with God's purpose, and to discover the woman He has been shaping all along, then I want you to know this invitation is genuine. There is a place prepared for you, not because you've earned it, but because I believe God still has beautiful things He wants to do in your life.

I would be honored to save that chair for you.

Your sister in Christ, Love & Prosperity,

Pastor Tonya Harden
Life Coach & Purpose Mentor

BAM TransformHER Retreat
October 8–10, 2026 | Gulf Shores, Alabama

Reserve your seat today:
tonyaharden.com/bam-retreat

"There's more in you. Become Her."