Life is busy. We’ve all heard someone utter the phrase “if only I had more time” or perhaps you yourself have wished for more than twenty-four hours in one day. Between housework, shopping for essentials and going to work, there is much to squeeze into each day… and that is before we add other events that we say ‘yes’ to. If there were to be more hours in the day I’m confident we’d find ways to fill the additional time too.
Last year I had the opportunity to visit a family member’s property near Armidale. Some rescheduling needed to take place so I had the time to fit the trip into the calendar. The week was magical as I disconnected from the busyness of regular life and, in the still of the quiet, spent extended time connecting with God.
As I drove through the beautiful northern tablelands on the way home I reflected that, in our ever-increasingly busy lives, taking time to retreat is something that seldom happens unless we purposefully create time to do so.
In the Bible, we see many examples of people retreating from the mental, physical and spiritual threats that life inevitably brings, only to return reinvigorated, recharged and refocused for what was to happen next. In particular, these individuals sought to get back in touch with their Creator, God. David retreated to the hills, Moses retreated to the desert and Jesus regularly retreated from the world to a remote spot to collect his thoughts and communicate with God the Father. The gospels record over 30 instances of Jesus taking time away before returning to his ministry, such as the example found in Mark 1:35.
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
Life is busy; may you follow the example of our biblical ancestors and make time to retreat. In this way, you can return reinvigorated, recharged and refocused so that you can be victorious in the challenges of life, following the example of Jesus.
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else… and He will give you everything you need.” (Matthew 6:33)
Mr Darren Martin
Assistant Head of Secondary: Teaching & Learning
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