This past week, I was on my annual eight-day retreat. It is always wonderful when you make a retreat to get away for a while and spend time with nature. When Jesus went away, He spent time with nature.
There were usually three places He went away to: the mountains, the desert (or wilderness), and the sea. We heard this today when He invited his disciples to go away to a deserted place and rest for a while. They went away with Him, in a boat, to a deserted place. I want you to think about that for yourself. Go away, by yourself, to a deserted place and spend some time at rest.
I spent part of my retreat on Lake Erie. It was quiet most of the time. One particular day, there was a big party that was going on a couple of doors down from where I was staying. It was a large boat party and they were having a wonderful time. However, it was a little bit too much for me to sit there and make a holy hour because they were playing loud music, screaming, drinking, and yelling a lot of obscenities.
I wanted to pray in silence. I had a kayak there and I thought if I paddled out, I could get away into silence. I paddled out about a mile or so, which wasn’t enough. I paused to listen – and had to keep just paddling and paddling until I had reached silence. I looked around, and I realized I was so far out that I was completely surrounded by water.
The water on Lake Erie was completely flat. The sun was setting, and the water just looked like a moving oil painting. It was breathtaking and beautiful. I spent time there with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I experienced the Trinity by going out into this deserted place, out into the water and resting for a spell. It was an absolutely wonderful experience.
The sunset was breathtaking. As I turned away after the sun set and started paddling back, the clouds behind me were an even bigger show. God was showing off and painting this beautiful image in nature for me.
All of us need this from time-to-time. Maybe you cannot get eight days away, or maybe you cannot even get a day away, but I believe it is so important to get away in nature – to go away, by yourself, to a deserted place and relax into the moment.
Summer is a wonderful time to do this. So, I invite you to spend time in this way no matter what you’re doing. Life becomes overwhelming for everybody regardless of our circumstances. But, Jesus is giving us this invitation: come away by yourself to a deserted place and rest for a while.
I want you to think about that invitation that Jesus is giving to you to pray, to come away and rest. Where is a place that you can go to where you will be by yourself and can recharge?
I think that would be wonderful for all of us to make sure we take time to do that this summer. The Lord wants so much to rest with you. He knows how hard you have been working. He knows the struggles that are going on in your life, and He gives you this wonderful invitation to come away, by yourself, to a deserted place and rest for a while.