The Treat of Retreat

It is the greatest of ironies that when preparing for retreat days (it really is better if you have more than one day) I tend to get a little wound up.  I start filling up my bags with everything I could possible need for time apart.  A Bible and journal get packed of course, but then in goes the Kindle and laptop and a hand full of other items to keep me busy.  I forget until I arrive and have my big sigh of relief that what I really want to do is just sit on the porch of this farmhouse in deep rural Georgia and watch the wind blow in the poplars or listen to the birds sing their songs.  After that maybe a cup of tea gets added to the mix, but not much else is needed to actually listen to God speaking around and in me for a change. And then there is the sharing.  Even though its technically a silent retreat, the nice thing about having buddies along is you do get to share a little about what is going on with you, even if its just in the car.  This kind of thing always gives one a better perspective on life.  But a special gift about Green Bough is getting to share with my spiritual director who brings a unique kind of clarity to what is stirring inside.  If you’ve never had spiritual direction before, its often the kind of exchange where a Jesus friend listens to you and then gives you words and Scriptures that simultaneously feel like a kick in the pants and a warm hug. So today I am grateful for this holy farmhouse where I ate lunch in silence with dear friends and watched the rain come up from the open window even before we heard it hit the tin roof.  I am grateful for people and places that hold me in quiet and rest when I need it and that nudge and challenge me when I need it as well. I hope you have a “thin place” that you get to visit from time to time.  Even if its a spot in your yard where you sip coffee for an hour or a nook in your church.  And may God bless with you with friends who bring both rest and challenge into your life when you need it.  And if you’ve never experienced it, I highly recommend watching trees blow while listening to rain fall on a tin roof.]]>