But the Fourth Time
The first time: I was scared. My first silent retreat was an accident. Donāt misunderstand; I knew I was going on a retreat. Afterall, Iād done the Google search, registered, and driven an hour to get there. But somehow, in all of that, I missed one important detail: The retreat was silent! Discovering this overlooked fact at dinner the first night was surprising, but I wasnāt alarmed. I often felt my quiet prayer time ended too quickly, and Iād begun to crave the pockets of silence I carved out in my day. But the next morning a new emotion filled me: I was scared. No, I wasn't scared of the silence or of my thoughts. I was scared I would somehow do it wrong. Scared I would miss whatever big thing I was supposed to experience. Scared the retreat would end and I would look back, only to realize Iād wasted the precious time Iād been given. Of course, thatās not what happened. Jesus met me where I wasāright in the middle of my fear. That retreat led to a life-changing encounter...