R & R Required

Karen

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

—Psalm 23:1–3

Are you an addict? I am. Sadly, my addiction is sometimes serious. And statistics indicate that many share my awful obsession. You see, I am addicted to busyness.

My habit began in high school. Yep, sign me up for sports, the school newspaper, foreign language club, youth group, volunteer work, and a part-time job to boot! By the time I graduated from high school, I was involved in more activities than a set of triplets should be. And unfortunately the busy buzz carried over into adulthood.

Current culture doesn’t help. Society not only encourages a hectic lifestyle; it even applauds and rewards it! And what gal in her right mind doesn’t want an “‘atta girl” now and then?

To be effective women of God, however, we need to not only slow down, regularly scraping commitments off our too-full plates, but sometimes we need to cease the frenzy altogether.

I am just coming off a month-long internet break and social media fast. No status updates, posting cute pictures, or cruising the blogging superhighways for thirty-one days. It was both terribly hard and yet, in the end, wonderfully worth it.

For a few days during my break, I hunkered down at a local retreat center. Dorm-like with its cinder block rooms, it was very inexpensive and yet set in a lovely slice of nature: hills overlooking a grape arbor and a fragrant pear-and-apple orchard.

Even though it is nearly impossible to break away from life, I come here sometimes to get alone with God, to read, ponder, write, and reflect. I walk the white-pine and perennial-laced grounds in solitude. There are no blaring television sets, internet connections, or ringing phones—only unfamiliar but blessed quiet.

Christ beckoned us in Psalm 23:1–3 to lie down, to be led, to come have our souls refreshed. Don’t miss that this passage states that the Lord “makes me lie down.” We often don’t slow ourselves down. Sometimes the Father needs to force us to do so for our own good. And most of all, it is necessary. When we retreat we can best hear from God, who often prefers not to scream over the noise of our busy lives, but instead gently whispers to us in the quiet solitude.

Yes, in the Christian life, retreat is required. Even Jesus Himself had regular times of rest and withdrawal. He leads by His example. Today why not consider a time, very soon, when you too will cease, retreat, and refuel? You won’t regret it.

Dear Lord, forgive me for ignoring Your command to come away with You for a while. Please arrange my circumstances so I might spend uninterrupted time with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

When was the last time you completely unplugged from any screens and just got alone to be quiet and connect with God through prayer and reading your Bible? Carve out some time in the next few weeks to get alone, even if for a few hours. Put that time on your calendar right now, and be sure to follow through.