We retreated.

retreat = an act of moving back, withdrawing

We retreated this past weekend.

Twenty-nine of us withdrew from busy-ness, technology, stress, pressure, routine and work.  We moved toward peace, serenity, connection, rest, God and nature.

We left spaces that were messy and distracting to seek a space where we could listen, refocus and discern.

And in that space we breathed.  We moved.  We connected.  We allowed ourselves to receive, to fill up and to just be.

We explored and adored nature.  We took walks with friends and walks alone.  We heard owls hoo, saw horses stroll and listened to the crackle of ice as it melted above the lake.

We found freedom in a flexible schedule and lived in the moment [so much so that we lost track of time].

We sought balanced eating as we desired to clean the house that is our body.  We ate lots of green things and even tried wakame.

We were reminded to pay attention to our creativity.  And to find it in others and in nature.

We reconnected with our bodies, our God and our friends.  We were reminded to nurture ourselves as a way to nurture others.

We learned that self-care is not indulgent and indulgence is not necessarily self-care.

We laughed loudly well into the night and we found stillness in the morning.  We came with questions and left with questions [‘cause our God is a god of mystery].

We felt a sense of community, a sense of belonging.  We made new friends and connected with old friends.  Sometimes we stepped out of our comfort zone.  Other times we stepped toward comfort [chair massage or hot tub, anyone?].

We remembered that our God is near.  And we encountered his presence.  On our mat, in the woods, through a conversation.

We decided that we want to live a retreat life — a life in which we can withdraw or pull away from those things [busy-ness, distractions, mess, routine] that move us away from God on a regular basis.

Because as we move away from those things we create space for wonderful things like peace, joy, grace, connection and laughter.  Oh yes, how we need more laughter.

We want to practice retreating everyday, or maybe even multiple times a day [even if just for a few minutes] because by golly, there is a lot of noise, distraction, busy-ness, pressure and stress in our lives and in our world.  And because we are much better able to love the world and the people around us after we have retreated.

Photo by Shaina Peterson

Photo by Shaina Peterson

 

 

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