Retreating to Advance
Stepping into the crisp air, I was refreshed. Slowly, over the weekend my breaths got deeper, my thoughts clearer as my heart was gently ushered back into a calm state of assurance. Throughout this long weekend, alongside dozens of other writers retreating to Maranatha across Lake Michigan, I was encouraged to continue to write.
Photo by Shayne Moore; Maranatha Writer’s Retreat Vespers Service with fellow Redbud Catherine McNiel
Speakers reminded us of the goodness of God. We remembered that creating, specifically writing, can be a worshipful response to what God has done in our lives. Gathering with a handful of members of the Redbud Writer’s Guild and other women in various stages of owning this as part of our gifting collectively retreated to renew our courage. In one of our Vespers prayer services we looked at Psalm 16 (NIV). We remembered that God is our safe place, the only One who our worship of writing is truly meant to glorify.
Psalm 16
Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.”
I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
This Psalm reminds us, we are safe in His arms, regardless of if we feel safe. It is our choice to notice the refuge of our God’s grasp. To share this with you is to simply declare the power of our Creator and embrace this reality for myself.
As we left our time of pensive reflection, we were encouraged to advance into our lives once again with courage and boldness. One of the ways I will display courage this year is writing more frequently. I choose to allow myself to remember how safe being in the presence of God is, and no longer give permission to fear or anxiety to get in the way of accepting the safety of His presence.
May these words also remind you: our God is safe in times of refreshing retreat and in seasons of prayerful advancement. As you encounter the Lord, may you find your own worshipful way of responding to His presence in your life.
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Over the next several weeks, I will be supporting authors I met at the retreat with giveaways of their books. Follow the Evermore Collective on Instagram & Facebook or join our mailing list for your chance to win Ann Swindell’s book Still Waiting: Hope for When God Doesn’t Give You What You Want this week.
