When There’s No Time or Money to Retreat

My bags are lying half-full on the floor. My phone keeps buzzing with last-minute details. Today’s the day! We’re off to retreat with the Velvet Ashes Unplugged Retreat.

For years now, retreating in the spring and fall has been our rhythm—a sacred pause woven into the seasons. My soul is ready. I feel the need, deep in my bones, to get away. The fact that I’m only crossing town to a borrowed home doesn’t make it any less meaningful. In truth, the simplicity is part of the gift.

I need to step away from responsibilities, from the endless needs and distractions, and hide myself in God. This year’s theme resonates deeply: “Refuge in the Wilderness.”

I love the imagery of En-Gedi—the oasis David found in the middle of the Judean desert. On the run from Saul, weary and hunted, David came upon God’s provision: a refuge of rocky cliffs, hidden caves, green leaves, and cascading waterfalls. There, in safety, he rested. There, beside the water, he penned beautiful psalms.

God offered David both shelter and renewal in that refuge in the wilderness—and he offers the same to us.

Maybe, like me, you’re longing for a place of refuge. You’re ready for rest, for renewal. Probably, like me, you have a hundred reasons why there’s no time or money for the “luxury” of getting away to retreat. But what if this mindset is what keeps us running ourselves ragged in the wilderness when God is offering us an oasis?

What if “getting away” could mean stepping into quiet, even for a day? What if you could meet him in the middle of your everyday wilderness?

That’s the heart of the Velvet Ashes Unplugged Retreat: Refuge in the Wilderness—a retreat you can experience from anywhere. And it’s now open!

This is your invitation. 🌿

• Print the retreat guide and step into the story of David at En-Gedi.
  
• Sit with the psalms he wrote beside the waterfall.
  
• Use the flexible schedule and make this retreat your own.
  
• Retreat with friends or savor solitude—it’s designed for both.
  

Find the shelter and renewal God is offering. Your refuge in the wilderness awaits.