An entire day to get away. A day to unwind. A day to rest. A day to soak in the Word. A day to simply be.
This sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Can we be real and blunt for a moment and admit that it also sounds completely unrealistic?
Yes, yes, we all agree that going on a personal spiritual retreat would be a really good thing, but actually doing it? That is really hard. Shall I list the reasons?
We have people depending on us.
We have responsibilities to uphold.
Our calendars are full.
We can’t afford the cost involved.
The complexities of where we live make it too difficult to go somewhere.
What would you add to this list?
We know a spiritual retreat would be good for us. In fact, our souls long for this. But… it’s just too hard.
Or is it?
If anyone understands the difficulty and the need for retreat, it’s this community. In fact, it was in a season of feeling like a personal retreat was an actual impossibility that God invited me to offer the very first Velvet Ashes retreat. I had no idea if it would work or if it would be good. I just knew my soul needed this. So why not invite others to give it a try, too?
We sent out the invite. “What if we all did a personal retreat together, all across the world, but right where we are?” To my great surprise, 700 of you said, “Yes, I’m in!”
So we set a date. I guarded it on my calendar. My husband agreed to be on kid duty. When the day came, I disappeared behind my locked bedroom door for the entire day. I emerged awed by the way that God met me that day.
Then we started sharing with each other, comments flying, connecting us across countries. “My day was incredible!” “Really?? You too?”
And thus, Velvet Ashes Retreats were born.
Now twice a year, all across the world, we retreat. Because we’ve tasted and seen. We actually can guard a day to step away. Shockingly, the world survives without us. Who knew?
We’ve learned we don’t have to have a flush retreat budget to experience the goodness of retreat. Sure, it’s special and exciting when we can gather with a group in a fun location. But sitting behind a locked bedroom door can also be sacred ground. We even have a lovely “Please do not disturb” door hanger for you to print and hang on that door now.
The thing about retreating is that it’s an act of trust.
It’s trusting that the world will survive without me. I am not indispensable. I can say no to other things in order to say yes to my soul’s need for time and space with God.
It’s trusting that God is a God who invites me to rest. He wants to fill me and renew me.
It’s trusting that when Jesus says, “Come away with me for a while”, he will actually be with me when I do. He will be present. He will touch me and speak to me. He will give me exactly what only he knows I need.
Do I dare trust?
You’re invited to join us for the Velvet Ashes Unplugged Retreat. This weekend, we’re unplugging from our devices and retreating all across the world. It’s not too late to join us.
If this weekend doesn’t work for you, don’t worry. You’ll have lifetime access. Get the extra-affordable price now, as the sale price ends this Sunday.
We’re so excited to hear how God meets you during your retreat!
Share in the comments—what will retreating look like for you?
What retreat obstacles are you facing? We’d love to pray for you.
What is God teaching you about trust?
