As I reflect on some of the most meaningful moments from the past Kairos Women’s retreats, several “snapshots” come to my mind: fireside conversations, getting to know the histories and testimonies of the beautiful women in our church community; walks along the lake, soaking in the beauty of God’s creation, while also enjoying the space to just “be”; listening to inspiring messages from our speaker, Mazi Robinson, as she brings words of hope from Scripture that speak to our everyday lives; and the poignant “share time” that closes the retreat each year, as women share the ways they have experienced the Lord’s presence over the course of the weekend.
One of the joys of my job is to connect with women and hear how they are doing. As I listen to women share about their lives, I often hear them use the words like, “busy,” “overwhelmed,” “a bit disconnected,” or even “lonely.” Whether it’s the responsibilities of work, family, or the relentless pace of our lives, we often feel like there is little breathing room, or space to connect in relationships with friends, or even to cultivate depth in our spiritual lives. This is an on-going struggle that is not easily solved; but as I look to the way Jesus lived, I see an on-going pattern of engagement followed by rest and withdrawal. Jesus lived a busy, full life. Mark 3:20 records a time when was he was so busy that he and his disciples didn’t even have time to eat (can any women relate?). Yet, Jesus modeled taking regular breaks from this pace, getting up early in the morning for times of prayer, withdrawing to a hillside to get away from the crowds and to be still before the Lord.
I think one of the reasons I love the Kairos women’s retreat so much is that it is a planned time to get away and “be still.” The purpose of our weekend away is to grow more connected to the Lord and to one another. We have space to listen, to ask questions, to journal, to go for a walk, or even take a nap! We have time set aside to form more meaningful relationships, by sharing our stories with one another. We have time set aside to really ponder how we are doing and to bring our real selves before the Lord.
As we desire to be more like Jesus, many of us are eager to follow his example of loving others and engaging in acts of service, but we also need to consider how we might follow his example of rest and withdrawal. As we consider what this looks like in our individual lives, attending the Women’s Retreat is a great place to start. And the good news is that not only does Jesus give us his example to follow, he gives us an invitation to receive the rest that comes from his presence, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). Our retreat planning team is praying that all the women in our church will hear Jesus’ invitation to receive his rest, to be filled, to connect with Him, and to be renewed. We look forward to seeing you at the retreat!
– Miriam