Retreats

Growing up in the church I’ve gone on my fair share of retreats (perhaps you have too).  Summers and winters were spent on long bus rides to cabins in the woods, eating nasty camp food, and getting very little sleep.  These retreats were times to play and connect with others. These were also times when I was met by God in special, meaningful ways. However, I began to tire of the exhausting pace of these retreats and around the same time was introduced to a different way of retreating – one that had been practiced in the Church since it was still in its infancy. These retreats were categorized by rest, quiet, and time set-aside with God.  As an extrovert I was nervous about all that time without other people. God surprised me on retreat. I found a safe place to pause, take up a different pace of life, and be with God in ways my normal life just couldn’t allow.

Every single retreat experience has been unique. On retreat I have experienced Jesus speaking clearly and other times when he has been quiet. I have spent some retreats laughing and other retreats weeping (or maybe even a little of both). Some retreats have involved fasting, while other times have been celebrated with feasting. It is out of my own retreat experiences that I discovered a love for facilitating retreat times for others. I pray, set the stage, and allow Jesus to move in the hearts of his people.