Why I Love Retreats (and think you should take one too)

Personal retreats can help you move from a life of busyness and burnout and help you establish a sustainable and enjoyable pace of life.

I have been doing personal retreats for over twenty years. It is a practice I started early on and have continued to this day. Over the years, I have had many profound experiences while setting some time aside for stillness. While you don’t need to go to a secluded place for a retreat, I love to get “off the grid” which is probably somewhat rooted in my “outdoorsy” upbringing. I grew up a country boy in Northwestern Pennsylvania who regularly hunted, fished, camped, and hiked. But regardless of whether or not you like to get off the grid, here’s why I think an annual or semi-annual personal retreat will benefit you too.

Four Reasons You Need a Personal Retreat

1) Retreats refresh your soul.

Life is hard. It’s easy to get out of sync, to get weary, to get worn down. You need some time just to be. I like to take long walks in the woods and time just to wait on God. Retreats allow me to do that. I book them in places where I won’t be distracted, where I’m not close to home, and where there aren’t a lot of things to do.

Typically, I have gone to Singing Hills Camp in New Hampshire. One of the things I love about this place is the stars! Because I spend most of my time in a major metropolitan area, I’ve realized it’s difficult to see stars due to light pollution. I’ve gotten accustomed to not looking up at the sky very often. What a tragedy! I remember one time I arrived at Singing Hills at night and I was reminded to look up. The stars were amazing, and I immediately felt refreshed. That does it for me. As the psalmist said,

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Maybe looking at the stars doesn’t do it for you, but what does? Going to a coffee shop and reading a great book for hours? Taking a long walk on the beach? Riding your bike or taking a hike? Playing your guitar?

My wife doesn’t particularly like going to the middle of nowhere for two or three days. She would rather go to the beach or to a hotel overnight where there are other people around.

The point is, find out what does it for you and go do it!

2) Retreats allow you to refocus on what’s most important.

For me, it’s what I call R.E.S.T. It stands for Relational, Emotional, Spiritual, and Tangible. I don’t know what it is for you, but I know this, whatever it is, you need focused time to think about it.

3) Retreats help you get realigned.

We all get off track sometimes. Whenever you put new tires on your car, you also need to get it aligned to make sure the tires don’t wear unevenly and have a long life. Retreats are like a realignment.

4) Retreats give you a fresh perspective.

My friend Mark Batterson says, “change of place + change of pace = change of perspective.” Amazing things happen when you gain fresh perspective, and who couldn’t use a little more perspective?

What To Do On a Personal Retreat

• Take a journal – whether it’s your computer or a pen and pad, do some writing. Log what God is speaking to you and doing in your life.
• Don’t rush: pray, walk, rest, and enjoy.
• Try some fasting, it will enhance and intensify your spiritual experience. If you are not up for a fast, eat, and enjoy it!
• Take long walks and hikes
• Take a good book you’ve been wanting to read.

I usually do a retreat for spiritual renewal in May and an Annual Vision Retreat in November that focuses on reflecting on and evaluating the year I just lived and doing some planning for the year to come.

Stop the Grind

If you’re honest, you probably need this more than you know. Even if you can’t do it for another six months, put it on the schedule (and write it in pen so it can’t change) right now!

Rest Assured: Seven Days to Stillness, Sanity and the Sabbath You Need

True rest is something that we all desperately need but can’t seem to find. It’s not just sleep and downtime we need, although that is important. It’s rest for our souls. I wrote a short book to help people find true rest.

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*Photo by Dingzeyu Li on Unsplash