Your Retreat {in a box}

Dear friend,

Congratulations on taking this generous step in caring for your soul. As a busy mom of 4 kids, working from home and juggling many of the same balls you are, I know how challenging it can be to pull away from your many responsibilities, to spend time alone with God.

As someone who practices regular retreating, I also know how richly rewarding it is.

From the moment you ordered your Retreat {in a box} until now, I have been thinking about you and praying for you. I have asked myself again and again, what is it that would be most helpful for you? What would be encouraging, inspiring and just plain and simply, a gift for you as you make space in your life for this retreat {at home}? It is my prayer and hope that, both the gifts inside your box, as well as the online content, will be a blessing to you during your personal retreat. It is my hope that together, these things will be everything you need, and nothing that is a distraction.

It is possible that as you prepare for your time “away”, many obstacles and distractions and disruptions may rear their head. This is typical and not surprising. The enemy of our souls knows that this special time away for God is powerful and transformative, and so it suffices to say that an attempt or two may come upon you, in an effort to dissuade you from committing whole-heartedly to your retreat. My encouragement here is two-fold: pray for discernment about the manner of distraction coming at you, and, resist canceling your plans, except in the case of true emergency. It’s tempting to think that others will not be able to manage in our absence but in most cases, this is simply untrue. Sometimes, that belief is little more than the resistance rising up in our spirit, as we sense the call on our hearts to, come away for a little while…

My hope and prayer as I write this to you now is, that you will go ahead with your intention to retreat, and trust that God will care for your loved ones in your absence.

If the “pulling away” part of retreat is not difficult for you, congratulations—you are in the minority! It might be that your obstacles are of a different variety. Maybe, a more internal sort of resistance. Sometimes, our struggle to retreat is rooted in our inability to settle down on the inside. A racing mind, or distracted attention, or anxiety, fear or expectations can all be hurdles to overcome when pulling away for retreat. This is also very typical, and should not be seen as a reason to avoid coming away for awhile.

One of the most beautiful and generous things about God is the way His invitation comes to us, regardless of these things. What we see as challenges are no obstacle for the Holy Spirit. Come away anyway. God is receiving you even now, just exactly in the place where you are.

The theme for this retreat is Rest. As we breeze into the holiday season, this may seem like a strange time to focus on making rest a priority, but the reality is, it’s always when the timing seems the most challenging to rest, that we need it the most. This theme comes to us as we continue our recovery from a worldwide pandemic, and as many of us are trying to reconnect with our church communities, our friends, families, and ourselves. Some of us have lost our familiar communities. Some of us have lost family and friends, physically, as a result of the virus, or relationally, as a result of something else. We have all suffered over the last 24 months, and we are all in need of a fresh revelation of the Holy Spirit, and deep, soul-rest.

Stand where the roads cross, and look around.

Ask where the old paths are.

Ask for the good path, and walk on it.

Then your hearts will find rest in me.

Jeremiah 6:16 NIV

Ask where the old paths are…I love this invitation to ask, to seek, and to trust that when we listen, we find our rest in God.

It is my deepest prayer that as you unpack your Rest Retreat {in a box}, and use the materials inside, and online, you will encounter God in a fresh way, and experience the restoration and rest of God both during your retreat time, and as you return to your routine.

Whether you’ve set aside a weekend, or a few hours to spend, I pray that you would experience the fullness of God in your midst, and the elongation of time in His presence.

“So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.” John 16:22

Take a deep breath, the Lord is with you.

With deepest joy and humble gratitude,

Kris Camealy

Founder & Director

Refine {the retreat}