Retreat

Work in the past few months has been demanding and draining. This retreat day was a get-away that I have long been looking forward to.

I love the state of mind when I feel a profound calmness emptying all the entangling thoughts and emotions from my mind. This is the moment when I'm more ready to listen to the small voice and refocus on God. But it often takes hours or even days to let my heart settle down. So I really appreciated this retreat -- with a short and easy hike, which I love, followed with a delicious healthy meal, that helped me to relax and be prepared for the personal quiet time, meditation, and praise & worship time following.

During the hike, God has inspired me that evangelical work is like planting. Some earth takes less work to cultivate but some takes ages. And some seeds take longer to start geminate and grow. But no matter how hard we work, it is God who give life to the plant. We cannot make a seed to geminate, we can only do what is suitable as much as we can.

God has been speaking to me on 2 issues recently and reminded me again during the retreat. One is the problem of my pride, and the second that I must learn to face and accept the true self. It was, probably, the first time that I admit explicitely that there are people I don't like. But this is important and can be done in a healthy way -- by presenting the issue in front of God and let God help me through. Well, I don't think the hurts will disappear all in a sudden, but I will be able to handle the relationship in a healthier way.

Thanks to F for taking time preparing and leading this retreat, and thanks to my b&s who are loving and caring and have made this retreat a warm and comforting fellowship time.