Retreat! We all need a little solace.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.  Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!" Mark 1:35-37

 When life comes at you like a freight train - full speed ahead - it's all you can do to hang on tight. There's barely time to think, no warning, no preparing or packing a bag - only time to react and latch onto whatever is in front of you until the train stops.

The unexpected happens all the time - life and death - but when they couple themselves together and come one after the other, our minds can't catch up with our hearts. In every crisis, whether good or bad, there's always stuff to be done - responsibilities and loose ends to tie up - for those holding up the arms of loved ones.

And when that freight train comes to a screeching halt - even for a brief moment - we find ourselves disheveled, speechless, utterly weary and maybe even a bit numb. We feel neither joy nor sorrow because we've been so busy caring for others that we pushed our own emotions aside. All we want is solace. Quiet. Retreat.

Retreat with me today at Encouragement Cafe...

Rainy Days and Mondays

"I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint." Jeremiah 31:25

I need a rainy day, now and then, when heaven pours down buckets of cool, refreshing rain under overcast skies. It's days like these when my mind relinquishes its normal scatter-brained push and pauses to hear the sleepy, pitter patter rhythm outside my window.

On these rainy days, when my "to do" list is blank, I slow down and enjoy a few simple pleasures: an hour more sleep under fuzzy warm blankets,  long, hot sips of pumpkin spiced coffee, extended quiet time curled up in my comfy chair, the new book aroma, the glide of my pen across blank pages, or simply an afternoon nap under Mom's hand-sewn quilt.

The rains fall and wash over my soul reminding my spirit who God created me to be. It's days like these when I can reflect on what God's done, focus on what He's doing now, and ask Him where He's leading me.

It's in the peace and quiet - the nothingness - where I hear God whisper and feel Him draw nearer. (Okay, in all honesty, it's in the nothingness where I'm left speechless, my mind declutters enough to hear God speak, and I lean in closer to Him).

Today is one of those days.

What kind of day refreshes you? What simple pleasures satisfy your heart? {I love it when you share your thoughts, so please don't be shy}.

Father,
Thank-you  for slow, rainy days and empty "to do" lists that serve to draw us closer to you.
Amen