A leaf landed on my Bible as a light breeze stirred the trees above. Settled on a homemade quilt deep in the woods, my eyes swollen from crying, I reflected on the past few months. My husband’s work travels had left the weight of caring for our son solely on my shoulders. I’d been emotionally “on” for so long I didn’t know how to turn it off.
My spiritual life was as dry as the Las Vegas desert I live in. I couldn’t remember the last time I read the Bible, and I rarely went to church, choosing instead to grab a few extra hours of sleep while my son binged on YouTube videos. Other than a few ‘hail Mary’s,’ my prayer time was non-existent.
Without God as my lifeline, it’s no wonder I was depleted of strength and suffering the burn of soul fatigue.
It was at this breaking point that a friend offered to watch my son for an afternoon, suggesting a ‘spiritual retreat’ to receive holy refreshment. “I don’t have time for that sort of thing,” I reasoned. But as soon as the words slipped out, I knew this chance offered rest not just for my body and mind but, more importantly, my soul.
I went to the woods for a spiritual retreat with no expectations, electronics, or objectives. I sought simply to sit in stillness and solitude, trusting the Holy Spirit to meet me there and speak life into me.
It took nearly a half-hour to settle into a restful rhythm. Oh, were the distractions plentiful! My eyes lifted skyward at the sound of insistent squawking from a flock of geese. My arm itched from a new mosquito bite. I had to push away thoughts of “what should I make for dinner?” and “did I remember to order my son’s soccer cleats?”
Yet the longer I sat in solitude the more I sensed a gentle presence. It was as if Jesus himself whispered “Shhh, it’s ok. I’m here. You can rest with me.”
Aren’t we all longing for rest from our comings and goings and our responsibilities, to have an encounter with the Holy Spirit that replenishes our soul? Jesus extends an invitation to, “come to me, all who labor and are heavy leaden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Don’t miss that: returning to Jesus is the solution to the soul rest we crave. We find that rest as we engage in a spiritual retreat. In this practice, you come before God with unmet needs and unfulfilled longings. Then you open yourself up enough for Him to speak into you. Finally, you make space for the Holy Spirit to reveal revelations.
There’s no wrong way to linger in the presence of God. Try some of these as you plan your spiritual retreat:
- Choose a comfy spot in a park, nature trail, or mountain meadow.
- Bring your Bible, a journal, and a pen. Come prepared to hear from God.
- Sing contemporary songs of praise or traditional hymns.
- Take a walk with God. Enoch did.
- Practice Christian meditation, focusing on one meaningful Bible passage.
- Try a new way to pray like ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication
When we withdraw from striving and stretching our way through life, we accept the invitation to rest with the Good Shepherd. As we surrender to His leading, our lives take on a new gentle pace instead of a frenetic one.
Held in His arms, I spent almost four hours in the woods that day, inhaling the Spirit like I hadn’t breathed in days. I’d walked into my retreat with a heavy heart and a black funk that weighed me down. But after I felt lighter somehow, like something inside had been set on fire and was crackling back to life.
By trading my responsibilities for rest, I opened myself up enough for God to love on me and speak into me, to move me from soul fatigue to restoration. Time spent in His presence, surrounded by His beautiful creation, gave my soul the rest it longed for. It can do the same for you.
Plan your spiritual retreat this week. Find a friend to watch the kids for an hour (or more!). Choose a location, pack a picnic lunch, and go commune with your Heavenly Father. Don’t forget to bring your Bible and a notebook. Soul rest is yours to receive.
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