Sabbath Place Hermitage
This past weekend, I went away on retreat to a place called Christ in the Wilderness (http://citwretreat.com) outside of Stockton, Illinois. I typically try to go away for at least four days, but with the way my calendar was this year, I could only manage a weekend. I didn’t set my spiritual expectations too high due to the short two-day retreat. (It usually takes two-days just to wind down from the stresses of life before I can solely focus on my relationship with God.) But this time, it was different.
Being completely isolated in a secluded wilderness hermitage immediately placed me in God’s presence. I was surrounded by nature, birds, animals, and God’s love for me, and an immediate peacefulness enveloped me.
On Saturday morning, I took a hike in the surrounding woods. Upon ascending a steep hill, a large meadow filled with wildflowers appeared. As I walked through the meadow, I came upon a wooden swing overlooking a bluff with nothing but
rolling hills as far as the eye could see. It was there where I sat for a long period of time – just taking in the beauty of God’s creation. I continued my prayers, and I felt God’s presence as if he were sitting right next to me on the swing. I just sat there. I spoke not a word, but just listened. And that’s when I heard the voice of God speaking to me – in the silence of the stillness.
What a great reminder for all of us. If we want to hear God speaking to us, we need to create those opportunities for us to listen. God is constantly whispering to us, tapping us on the shoulder, speaking to us through others. But we’re so consumed in our own actions and motions, that we completely miss it.
I encourage each of us to do whatever it takes to find time in our crazy-busy schedules to simply be still, to quiet ourselves so that we can hear what God is saying to us. It could be a silent walk in the neighborhood, a few minutes of silence during our day, a few moments in private prayer, or some time spent in silent meditation. It may even be the need for a personal retreat to a secluded place. Whatever works for you and whatever it takes, just do it! We just need to commit to making time to listen to Jesus.
As St. Peter tells us, we will do well if we are attentive to him.
Thanks for the wonderful description of your retreat time. God bless you in your work.
You’re very welcome. And may God bless you in your work as well!!!
It has been almost a year since my husband and I moved from New York City to Boise, Idaho and one of the things I like the most about our move is having a little balcony off our 3rd floor apartment. We are among the trees and my husband (who was born and raised in NYC) will often remark that it feels like we live in a treehouse! Each morning, for most of the year (except the winter), I get up early, go on our little porch with my prayer books and spend a half to full hour in a most beautiful silence and solitude. As I look around at the sky and trees, listening to the birds, my first prayer of the morning is “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.” Getting up early and having this special time in prayer with God has made all the difference in the way I cope with life’s problems.
Ah, Stephanie…what a blessing to have a “treehouse” where you can go to pray. That’s awesome! There is just something special about praying outside. I always tell people to do it whenever they can. It really gives you a different perspective and changes up the prayer routine. There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by God’s creation when deep in prayer. Thanks for your comments, and have a wonderful rest of your day.
Thank you for posting about Christ in the Wilderness. I’m going to book some time there….it looks divine!
You’re quite welcome. It’s a great place and I highly recommend it. Have a wonderful day!