September 2021

Three Benefits of Spiritual Retreats

Faith, Knowing God / By / July 29, 2021 / , , , ,

Come apart before you come apart.

A battle rages around us. We forget at times because we don’t hear the explosion of munitions. Yet, the Bible tells us to put on armor, fight a good fight. Paul reminds us that we wrestle not with flesh and blood—but with evil forces of wickedness. This war exhausts even the most skilled soldiers. We all need r and r. We need to heed the voice of our Commander and retreat at times.

  • Retreating refreshes us. When we check out of our daily routine, the freedom from those demands allows us breathing room. We gain an opportunity to relax, rest, and feed our souls. Most Christian retreats offer speakers who share the Word of God intending to encourage those in attendance. A retreat provides busy moms time and space to process what she’s heard. On most Sundays, those young mamas either train children to be quiet or rush to relieve the nursery staff from caring for their child and then dash home to feed their hungry brood. Young moms aren’t the only ones who benefit from this opportunity. Let’s be honest how often do we take time to consider what our Pastor preaches? I fear many believers rush through daily Bible reading and never let the message sink in. Intentionally coming apart for Spiritual formation allows all of us the time to process truth.

Another invigorating factor for women with families is coming home to a husband and children who appreciate you more. One of my favorite memories occurred after returning from a women’s retreat. “My husband must have seen me pull up in the drive because he stepped out to greet me. With an exhausted look on his face, he said, “I tried to get the kids to pick up. It’s like nailing jello to the wall!”

“Thanks, Honey. I appreciate the effort. Welcome to my world.” I replied with a contented smile.

  • Retreating connects us. Even if you take a personal retreat or a silent prayer retreat, retreats build relationships. God created us for—and calls us into community. He also calls us to a relationship with Him—and His people. A group retreat accommodates the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships and meet people we may not get to meet otherwise.

One of my most special mentors I only knew because of an annual retreat. That was also the only time I could spend time with her. God used her to teach me the power of praying Scripture, along with several other lessons I’ll never forget. Fellowship, laughter, tears, praying[tg1] , and sharing with others—retreating makes these possible in a way that a Sunday service cannot.

  • Retreating helps us refocus. One main reason armies retreat is to minimize losses by creating a better strategy. Retreats supply vital reflection time. What am I not doing well? How can I do better? Critical decisions that shaped my life and ministry resulted from attending different retreats through the years.

Rallying the troops also happens in retreats. We don’t fight Spiritual battles alone, and we may be hurting. Retreating provides a safer environment for tending the wounded. It rallies us together to be mindful of the needs present.

Many churches offer both men’s and women’s retreats. Some denominations and fellowships of churches provide various types of retreats, including Christian worker’s retreats. Several family ministries host couple’s retreats to help couples strengthen their marriages.

I attend both a women’s retreat and a Christian workers’ retreat on an annual basis. I also take personal retreats throughout the year as I sense my need to refresh, connect (with God), and refocus. If your church and denomination don’t offer retreats, I bet another local church near you does.
And He (Jesus) said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” Mark 6:31

Don’t suffer from battle fatigue, Sister. Retreat!

 [tg1]

Failure Due to Forgetfulness

1 Comment / Faith / By / July 29, 2021 / , , ,

“What if . . . ?!”

I pounded my fists on the door in the dark—darkness like a tomb. “Please, let us out! Don’t lock us in here,” My toddler and baby wailed in response to their mother’s frantic furry. Just seconds ago, light illumined this store restroom where we came for a potty break. The lights went out as I washed my hands. “What happened?” I wondered. Then it dawned on me it was late afternoon on a Sunday. The mall was closing. With my hip along the counter to guide me to the exit, I rushed to the door. I pushed hard; the door didn’t budge. I panicked.

 “What ifs” flooded my mind. What if they can’t hear me? What if everyone leaves, and the kids and I are stuck in the dark until tomorrow morning? What if? What if ?! What if?!! Not once did I think about “what is.”

After what felt like hours but was merely a minute or two, the door pushed against me. A wedge of pale light grew as a clerk opened the door. Like a sunrise, the irony of my situation dawned on me; I had been trying to push open a door I should have pulled.  How foolish I felt all because I failed to focus on my reality—the what is.

You see, my babies and I were never alone in the dark. God is ever-present, everywhere. If I had just taken a deep breath when my anxiety started and prayed a simple “Help, Lord,” I know He would have impressed me to pull the door instead of pushing. But, no, I listened to all of satan’s “what ifs.”

There’s an old saying, “If ifs and buts were candy and nuts, we’d all have a merry Christmas.”  While if’s and buts are helpful in strategy games like chess and checkers, they hinder our present appreciation of life circumstances. The only if we should consider is, “Lord, if you will” ( James 4:13-15). I forgot in that scary, dark place that the Lord was there and willing to Give me wisdom (James 1:5). I forgot that He is my protective Father who provides for all my needs (Matthew 6:26); when we forget, we fail. We fail to do the right things. We fail to honor our Savior. Just like the forgetful children of Israel, we wander in the wilderness and go into exile. Forgetfulness of Who our Father is and what His will is for us leads to sin. Yes, my frantic screams and blows against that bathroom door were sinful acts of unbelief, but I learned a valuable lesson from my regrettable actions. I knew not only did I need to pray instead of panic, but I also realized what a terrible example I had set for my children. I became aware that my failure to practice what I preach affects others, not just me.

As my children grew, they heard me say this a lot, “Smart people learn from their mistakes. Smarter people learn from the mistakes of others.” So, my prayer for you today, dear Reader, is that you’ll learn from me to be mindful of the truth of what is and not let the what-ifs send you into a frenzy.

What truth do you need to remember today?