Retreat Mindset
Have you ever been on a retreat or getaway? Anytime I get the chance to escape the everyday rat race that my life can feel like, it is glorious! That freedom from the alarm, nothing on my calendar, eating slowly and relishing that cup of coffee all imbue peace to my soul. It just feels good!!!
Lately, I’ve been praying that I would have this in my daily life. Instead of having to get away from my life (which I actually truly love and enjoy) that I would be able to have peace and ease. And since I have been praying this – my life has not gotten easier but my inner turmoil in response to stress has almost completely disappeared. I truly believe that if you look back at Jesus – that is the way He lived here on Earth. Check out what He was up to here:
Mark 4:35-41 The Message (MSG)
Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”
Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?”
They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this, anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!”
Isn’t that incredible? Can you imagine being able to sleep on a boat lurching through a storm at sea? And yet Jesus had his head lying on a pillow and he was so asleep that his buddies had to wake him up! Now that is some “retreat mindset” if I’ve ever heard it. Bring me some of that!
Life comes at us like a storm and it can steal our peace and our joy. How do we bring that calm, the freedom, that slower pace to our every day? In the book of Psalms chapter 16 verse 11 it says this, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” The key here is God’s presence. How do you enter? Worship music, committing your days and nights to him by purposely praying, asking God for wisdom are some key ways of coming into His presence. How do you know God is present in your everyday? Invite Him to join you and ask Him to grant you that “Retreat Mindset”.