Retreating
Do you go to retreats? It has been a long, long time since I attended any kind of retreat where I wasn’t speaking or working. But this past weekend I got to go to one and let me tell ya…..I was not prepared for the deep introspection and personal conviction.
It was a good/hard kind of experience.
Good….God dug deep and pulled some weeds from my heart.
Hard…..Ouch!
On Friday morning my daughter and I drove to Dallas, where the retreat was being held. She rode with me so she could spend the weekend with my older daughter who lives there and visit my wonderful sister-in-law and her family. We had a fantabulous ride up just talking and listening to podcasts and sharing ideas. We arrived and I took my 2 girls to lunch and really just enjoyed some down time together. Afterwards, I left them and headed to my retreat.
It was hosted by my Young Living leader and oh-my-lands she is good at making you feel cared for! Every detail down to the light fixtures in the hotel was perfection. We played team building games and ate amazing food and had NingXia Red at every meal. #spoiled
The real learning of the retreat was on Friday when we attended sessions about building a vision and understanding what motivates you and knowing your purpose. It got pretty deep and for a while I felt like I had been hit by an emotional mac truck. I have been through the ringer over this past year and it kind of just all came down around me. I know we were supposed to be learning business ideas and being inspired in our Young Living dreams….but I had so many aha moments that were personal mixed in with all of the lightbulbs flashing over my head for my business that my brain nearly exploded. In a good way.
I was taking notes as fast as my little hand would write.
At around 3:00 on Friday we took a break for a few hours before dinner. Most of the ladies headed to the pool, but I just couldn’t take the extreme temps so I went to my hotel room and spent some time with my notebook and my Bible. Me and God had a long talk.
Good/Hard.
I definitely felt refreshed and made some decisions about how I spend my time and where God wants me to focus. I got to talk with my leader about my thoughts, which was amazing to be together in person so we could really connect and have a meeting of the minds. And my roommate was so great too, she let me spill my thoughts out to her and helped me think through some things well into the wee hours of the night. #blessed
On Saturday morning I went for a facial before heading to pick up my daughter and drive back home. Have you ever had a facial? I had never had one before and Lord-have-mercy, it was unbelievable. If I could I would get one every week. My skin is still thanking me.
On the Saturday afternoon drive home my daughter and I talked a lot about what we had each done while in Dallas and made plans for the next few days. She and I are traveling together again next weekend. We are going to the Focused Conference in Virginia. More time together. More learning. More bonding over everything from gluten-free food to books we love.
When I got home it was hard to decide….to unpack or not to unpack. Ultimately I could have just left it all on the suitcase and used it again next weekend. The problem is that one trip was driving and the other is flying. Flying requires a whole different kind of packing. Little bottles, Ziploc bags, shoes that slip off easily….for my driving trip I just kept tossing things in the car like I hadn’t a care in the world until I had, in addition to my suitcase, several tote bags full of random, completely unnecessary stuff. So I decided it would be best to go ahead and put everything away (except the suitcase) and get it all back out again in 3 days. I do feel more organized with it all put in its place instead of living out of a suitcase in my own home.
For the next few days I will be reflecting on all that God showed me last weekend and asking Him to help me keep those nasty weeds OUT of my heart and help me plant something beautiful and fruitful in its place. I have let too many unwanted things grow in there lately and I am glad to be rid of them. I’ll be reading my Bible and pouring God’s Word over those recently touched areas.
And I will be thanking God for His mercies….I sure am feeling His goodness these days.
How about you? When was the last retreat you went on?