Solitude Therapy

Photo by Christopher Sardegna on Unsplash

I just returned from a prayer retreat. It was brief…only about 24 hours. I went to a local Catholic retreat center and stayed in a small cottage that is situated on a beautiful nature preserve. This little old house is basically one room with a bathroom and a tiny kitchen. There is no TV. No Wifi. Just a couple of comfortable chairs, a bed to sleep in, and a fireplace. And it was glorious.

As president of Spirit & Truth and also a local pastor I am actively leading two organizations with lots of moving parts and staff. In all the demands of those roles, plus life as a husband and dad of three growing boys, busyness sometimes feels like a massive black hole with more gravitational pull than I can counter on my own accord. And it’s not just the physical busyness of schedules, it’s the mental busyness that is the hardest. It’s hard to turn my mind off. I’m always thinking, always planning, and always needing to accomplish something.

Here’s what I suspect. I am not alone. Your situation or stage of life may not be identical to mine, but busyness is the American way. Most church leaders I know…scratch that…most people that I know are overscheduled and don’t actually rest with the Lord.