Perks of a Personal Retreat

     "Calgon, Calgon, take me away!" So goes an old commercial for a product promising a soothing, soft-water soak in a tub. No bubbles, just soft water. The Calgon commercial isn't around anymore but the need to get away is.

     Wouldn't you like to step outside your daily grind of work/home/family/community/church responsibilities? Vacations, mini-vacations, stay-cations, and getaways are valuable to our mental health and we must incorporate them into our busy lives. However, these include a lot of other people.

     I'd like to propose a spiritual retreat, enjoyed in solitude and focused on prayer and Bible study. I know, I know. You barely have time to breathe let alone go traipsing off to meditate. Trust me, it can be pulled off.

     When my four children were young my life was scheduled to the max. I was deeply involved in Christian leadership in my church; I supported a husband establishing his own business by hosting dinner parties for his clients' families; together we entertained many large groups in our home for church events; and I served as air traffic controller to the kids' sports, school, church, and friends schedules. Ours was the house where neighborhood children gathered so there were many skirmishes to settle. Our children worked paper routes and the route station was in our garage, meaning more skirmishes. In addition, I was trying to establish myself as a free-lance writer. (I did my best work while the gang was engrossed in Sesame Street or the Electric Company.)

     In spite of a bursting calendar, once a year I carved out a weekend retreat for myself. It took planning to avoid important family events, and it required cajoling to convince an equally busy husband to cover the home front. I left the family with a full refrigerator, a few casseroles, and clean laundry. "This relaxing getaway thing is a lot of work!" I thought.

     For my spiritual retreats I drove up north to the mountains of Arizona because pine trees speak to me. I reserved a room in rustic Bed and Breakfasts--one time a little cabin in the woods and another a lower floor apartment overlooking the Mogollon Rim, a spectacular range of mountains.

     I took my books, my Bible, a new yellow legal pad, lots of pens, and even a small electronic typewriter that printed out documents on thermal paper (PCs hadn't been invented). 

     The Bed and Breakfasts were safe, comfortable, and provided the solitude I craved. The amenities:

• Nearby trails for long walks
• Pot-bellied stove or fireplace in the rooms 
• Breakfasts to die for 
• Antique-y little towns to explore when I needed a break

     My activities were sleeping, reading, watching television late into the night, writing, Bible study, prayer, walking in the fresh air--all the things I wanted to do but couldn't while immersed in daily responsibilities.

Alternatives to a Week End...

     Is this too much for your life? You can't get away for an entire weekend? Try a one day or even half-day escape. Visit sites around your community, sites that are relatively quiet and afford alone time. Make sure you're safe and comfortable so your day is relaxing, allowing you to commune with God.

     Visit a local park, restaurant, book store, or library. Maybe there are some churches in your community that keep their doors open for quiet worship. Perhaps you need something physical to help you unwind like a strenuous bike ride or a long run or kayaking on a lake. Be sure to include time for rest and meditation.

     Phoenix is home to two very nice Retreat Centers. One is the Franciscan Renewal Center, or the Casa as it's known locally (http://www.thecasa.org/index.php). The Casa offers organized retreats but also welcomes visitors who wish to enjoy personal spiritual times of renewal. The grounds are beautiful and very restful. The other is Canaan in the Desert run by the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary in the U.S.A. (http://www.canaaninthedesert.com/). Time spent in their prayer garden fosters relaxation and inspiration. Even if your hometown doesn't have such resources, it does have lovely parks that allow visitors to enjoy nature.

     My home church has a large hill in the middle of its property. The church turned this construction nightmare into a blessing by creating a trail to the top where there is a cross, an empty tomb, and a bench. Along the path are stations of prayer, focusing on the Lord's Prayer. It's a very worshipful trek to make in solitude.

What to Do?

 

     Read, breathe, rest, study your Bible, pray, listen for God's direction, make important decisions, or set goals (see Post from August 12). Whatever you do, don't allow guilt to interfere, and get rid of the need to be productive. Turn off your phone and tell your family to call only if there's an emergency. Let work know you're incommunicado for the day.

     Step out of your responsibilities and commune with God. Receive his direction or his healing balm for your frazzled lifestyle. You will return stronger, healthier, and happier. Your Mental Health Day becomes so much more when you plan it to be a Spiritual Health Day. It's better than soaking in a tub full of soft water.