“…. the one who refreshes others will themselves be refreshed.” Proverbs 11:25b
We all know that to be able to continue to pour out to others, there needs to be a pouring in. Despite knowing the benefits of taking time out to be refreshed, it can so easily become the one thing on the list of priorities that keeps getting edged out. Even when intentionally scheduled, it is often the first thing we tell ourselves we cannot justify in the face of all we have to deal with. And even if we take time for sabbath rest on a weekly basis, sometimes the nature of what we are dealing with day after day, week after week, is like running a car at a speed that eats up the fuel. Before we know it, the empty needle is suddenly perilously close.
Taking time to go on a Retreat has been a practice of mine for a good number of years. Whether that be a morning or afternoon set aside once a month to simply put down all the competing demands of life and ministry and intentionally engage in practices that enable me to rest and be refreshed spiritually, or whether it be a more formal organised retreat lasting a few days, or even a week, I have always found the investment of that time to bring rewards that far outlast the time given to it.
Now, rather than seeing retreat as self-indulgent or a luxury I can’t afford, I approach it as an act of faith and obedience, a vital part of what I need to sustain me in life and ministry – extended time for reading scripture for my own nourishment and direction instead of sermon preparation; time to listen to the stories of others which inspire, comfort and challenge, and which often provide a needed reminder that the struggles we face are shared; time to laugh and be refreshed by the goodness of my brothers and sisters in Christ and the joy of being with them with no agenda other than to enjoy each other’s’ company and in so doing find God working in the conversations that unfold; time to be in a place of worship, worship that someone else has prayerfully and lovingly prepared so that God can minister to me, to us; time to walk in nature, to read, to journal, to do whatever is needed to be recharged both spiritually and physically; time to be reminded that I am a beloved child of God before I am anything else and before I give anything else; time to silence the noise and listen for the still small voice; time to become aware of God’s presence and to simply enjoy. Retreat transforms me from exhausted and empty to full and overflowing. If you have never tried it, or it keeps getting pushed down your list, this may be your nudge to take the plunge.
Rev Anne Redpath
Chaplain, Presbytery of Perth
