A DEVOTIONAL FOR OUR COME AWAY VIRTUAL QUIET DAY ON OCTOBER 17TH. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Jesus invited His disciples to “…come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while…” (Mk 6:31-32) For many years as a young mother I felt frustrated, unable to enjoy this invitation from the Lord. I had a morning devotional time, but more often than not that time would include a little person in my lap “helping” me. Though I loved the snuggle time with my children, their impeccable timing made staying quiet and focused impossible. I wanted to immerse myself deeply in scripture and prayer. Caring for others and fatigue from lack of sleep seemed to routinely thwart my plans.
One summer, an older woman from church invited me to a prayer retreat. This was not like any retreat I had ever been on before. It was going to be just the two of us. I decided to go, and I got someone to watch the children. We met at our church and began by praying together, and then we moved into separate rooms.
She had given me a written outline with ideas for my time alone. For the first hour my mind raced. Thoughts about what my kids were doing, my unfinished laundry, what I was going to make for supper, what a silly idea this retreat was, and everything else under the sun sped through my thoughts. Then in a brief flash of clarity I thought, I should ask God for some help. I mean I was doing this for Him, right? Maybe He could shut off my mom-brain and give me some direction. As I continued to pray, my thoughts started slowing down. I opened my Bible and read. In the quietness of that empty room Jesus began filling my discouraged heart with peace. He reminded me how much He loved me and how significant my call to motherhood was. He revealed an area in my life where I was harboring unforgiveness. He later gave me grace to make amends. At one point I was emotionally spent and fell asleep. My spirit was at rest. He had renewed my hope and given me fresh understanding.
When I headed home that evening, I was joyful and calm. I had supernaturally experienced that I can do nothing without Him. Going forward, it wasn’t going to be enough to just think about Him or read someone else’s thoughts about Him. I was going to have to intentionally make time alone to “come away” with Jesus as a regular spiritual practice. I’m glad that sweet woman at church recognized my struggle and reached out to help me. Over the years learning to practice times of inner retreat became a lifeline. If you are stressed, worried, or overwhelmed, I’d like to encourage you. Jesus is faithful and He is still calling His disciples, to come away by ourselves with Him and rest awhile. Will you join Him?
