5 Benefits for Taking a Spiritual Retreat in 2015

Can you remember what you were doing at the turn of the new millennium in 2000? There was so much anticipation about what that year would bring. Now we are celebrating 2015! How have the intervening years turned out for you? Did they deliver on the dreams and plans you made? For those of us in midlife, we are confronted by the crowding in of many unexpected hard realities. These likely impacted the fulfillment of the dreams you made back in the year 2000. See if you identify with any of them:

• Nagging regrets
• Marital struggles
• Financial pressures
• Health concerns
• Aging parent needs
• Adult children issues
• Faith questions

I refer to these hard realities as the mountains of midlife. They loom in front of us blocking our path, threatening to derail us and damage our legacy. The choices we make in coping with these mountains can either keep us on the right track or get us lost in the wilderness. Dealing with mountains in our life is nothing new. What is crucial is how we react to them. Jesus made an amazing statement in Matthew 17:20 when He said:

Truly I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it shall move; and nothing shall be impossible to you.

The key is to bring our mountains of midlife to the mountain mover—Jesus. He knows what needs to be done even when we aren't sure.

One of the best ways to address our mountains is by getting time away with Him on a spiritual retreat. The start of the new year presents an ideal opportunity to do this.

Here are 5 benefits for taking a spiritual retreat:

1. Brings calm to the chaos. Stepping back from a hectic schedule to seek the Lord brings peace to our heart.
2. Clarifies the mountains confronting us. Often we can feel overwhelmed by so many difficulties surrounding us. Getting time away with Jesus helps us zero in on what our major concerns are.
3. Renews our faith. It's surprising how much our heart can be encouraged by spending some extra time with the Lord. If we feel disconnected from God a retreat away can remind us how close He actually is to us. Isaiah 42:6 says God holds us by the hand! ("...I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you...").
4. Identifies new steps of action. Even though the mountains we face seem big, God is so much bigger and will show us the path through them. Just one or two steps of action can be all it takes to help us get unstuck.
5. Provides hope for our situation. God is the source of our hope. No matter how bleak things may appear to be, there is a tangible sense of hope that comes from spending time in His presence. Hebrews 6:19 says: "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast..."

A spiritual retreat can be of any length. I recommend at least an hour away to pray, read the Word and seek the Lord's direction if you haven't been used to doing this. The more time you can allocate the better. A half day or whole day dedicated to waiting on our heavenly Father allows the time for our mind and heart to calm down so that we can hear His voice. I would be interested in hearing about your spiritual retreat. Taking them has been a life-changing experience for me.