Recently I got to spend a weekend speaking to a group of women at the most beautiful retreat center I?ve ever visited in the Northwest. Rolling hills overlooked the Columbia River, which I could see winding for miles in either direction. The fall colors were beginning to emerge, and the air was clear and crisp. I couldn?t breathe deeply enough of the beauty of my surroundings.
I love telling women on the Friday night of a retreat weekend that they are meant to be here, resting, thinking, retreating from the world to recalibrate so that they can return home as better moms, better wives, better employees, better selves.
There is profound value in not only resting from our ordinary, sometimes frenetic schedules, but also in removing ourselves from our everyday environments to gain insight and perspective otherwise difficult or impossible to find.
In military terms, retreat can have a negative connotation, implying defeat or confusion. In real life, however, pulling away from that which is stressful, toxic, or overwhelming can be the epitome of wisdom and good health.
What if all of us were to take 24 hours to retreat periodically to examine our priorities, values, and calendars? What clarity would we bring back? What tanks would be filled so that we could continue to pour into the lives of those around us?
Nothing would please me more than to read right here story after story of the impact made by a retreat. Now get out of here! (Then come back and tell me all about it!)
