The sand between my toes. The crashing waves. The fresh sea air filling my lungs. The sunlight glistening off the sea like a blanket of diamonds. The dull ache in my legs from walking on the sand…. I’ve come to the beach for a retreat.
The still small voice. The peace. The hope restored. The promises reaffirmed.
Beach Retreats
I go on trips to the beach with Jesus. I see it as a mini-retreat. It all started about 2 years ago when I felt frazzled by life and felt desperate for quality time with Jesus. The first time, it was a chance to get away from the busyness and distractions at home and take a couple of days to just be with Him. I’ve been a few times since and it helps me to focus on Him and hearing His voice.
I have also been on one of these retreats during a really challenging time, during one of life’s storm seasons. I was still reeling in shock and hurt from some bad news in my family. A found a quiet spot on the beach and cried. As I spoke to Him, and the Holy Spirit comforted me. Over 2 days, I heard from Him so clearly. I was able to process my emotions and reorder my thoughts. I returned home with renewed hope, my faith restored in His promises.
If you’ve never been on a retreat, I would recommend it. Before I started going, I thought retreats were just for church leaders, the people in full-time paid ministry to give them a break. After I went, I released they can be beneficial to everyone. It can be a time to pray, to reflect, to recharge, and be refreshed. And Jesus went on retreat, mini ones:
But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray Luke 5:16
And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone Matthew 14:23
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed Mark 1:35
Jesus withdrew to desolate places
It’s clear from the gospels that Jesus often retreated somewhere alone to pray. And if we want an example of how to go about our lives, who better than Jesus? I’m currently following a bible in a year reading plan which recently meant reading my way through Matthew and Mark. I was challenged about my thoughts on retreat.
You see, for a long time I’ve thought of my trips to the beach as my retreats. I usually go on a Friday evening after work and come back Sunday or get a couple of days off work in the week if I can. These times have been so blessed, so refreshing, and so worthwhile. And I’m currently itching to go again. I want to go to my beach! So, what’s the problem?
The challenge I’ve felt is that I’ve come to associate these trips as the times that God renews my strength, gives me fresh hope, and I come back will renewed excitement and eagerness to run forward toward His plans and purposes for my life.
But should I really need to go to the beach to get this? The answer is no. Much as I love the beach and these times of retreat, I should be able to get this at home too. God can speak to me anywhere, anytime, if I stop and listen.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you Matthew 7:7
The bible promises that when I seek God, I will find Him. For me, the trips to the beach are a way of focussing on Him without the distractions of home and day-to-day life. It’s a way that I set aside time to seek Him and be recharged, and this is a good thing to do. However, recently I felt challenged to build more of this into my daily routine.
Retreat as a daily practice
In the gospel, when we see Jesus retreating, we don’t see Him using my idea of booking a couple of days in a hotel by the beach. He simply takes time out of His busy day and heads to the nearest isolated place.
I’m not saying that longer pre-planned retreats aren’t a good idea, just that maybe I should be taking more time in the everyday normalness of my life to retreat. Maybe you should too. Maybe that means shutting yourself in your bedroom for a while to pray, maybe the spare room, your garden, your local park, maybe even a coffee shop. I don’t think the location is important. I believe that the important thing is that we should be retreating regularly in our everyday lives as Jesus did.
The timing doesn’t matter either, maybe you’re a working mum who comes home from a busy day at work to hungry children who need to have their dinner cooked, homework checked, and just want to spend their time with you before the bedtime routine begins. Maybe the thought of you finding a spare 2 days to get away is so unlikely it’s laughable.
The important thing is this: the heart. If we are taking time to retreat and listen to God and be renewed, even if it’s just 5 minutes in the middle of a hectic day, it’s the heart of dependence on Him to be our strength that is important. And when we go to Him with that heart, He will renew us:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble Psalm 46:1
When we retreat to spend time with God, no matter where we go or for how long, we are recognising that He is our refuge and strength, and He will be a very present help.
My hope and prayer for us all today is that He will help us to see Him working in our normal everyday lives, that we will feel that refreshment and restoration in our hearts wherever we are and whatever we are doing. I want to encourage each one of you to find a time for this retreat today, even if it’s only a couple of minutes taken out of a hectic day. In that time He can speak to us and refresh us. Let’s all take that time today.