The Spiritual Rhythms retreat was such an amazing experience for me. Prior to the retreat, I had been desiring to practice more spiritual disciplines but did not understand how to implement some of them into my life. The disciplines of silence and solitude often get overlooked in many of our hurried lives today.
We are too busy to practice it, or our minds wander during the short time we give to it. At least those are the reasons I had never attempted long periods of solitude before. However, our six hours of silence and solitude during the retreat opened my eyes to the rich fellowship with the Lord that it provides. I spent six hours on a blanket under some trees, and the Lord really met me there. In our instructions, we were told not to overcomplicate it but to just meet with the Lord like we normally would. So that is what I did. I prayed, meditated on the Gospel, and meditated on the book of Hebrews.
As I began reading, I took the time to really focus on each word and idea.
By the end of my solitude time, I was just on my knees worshipping God, because the book of Hebrews reminded me of the beautiful and rich grace that He provides.
Hebrews walks through a lot of what God did in order to offer us salvation. After reading it, I really saw God’s heart, because He is the one who speaks to humanity first. God loves us first. God knew we could never go to Him first because of our wretchedness and sin, so He came down to us. He died the death we deserved. Now, He offers us salvation so that we can be in fellowship with Him.
There is nothing we have to do but accept His priceless gift. The holy God of the universe did all this for us. It blows my mind that He did it for me! It is easy for me to fall into trying to please God or earn His love, but I was just reminded that those are things freely given in Christ. God already loves me, and I would not have been reminded of that if I had not taken the time to slow down and read His word. I understand six hours of silence and solitude is not always practical, but I really see the benefit of it and want to implement it in my life whenever I can, whether that is during a long, scheduled block of time or during a five-minute break to reset my mind on God.
Communion with God is the most precious gift He has given to me. I want to walk in constant fellowship with Him, and I learned during our Spiritual Rhythms retreat that silence and solitude are some of the greatest ways to slow down, reset my mind, and enjoy Him.
Rachel James, Class of 2027
We believe that when a student is rooted in truth, they become a catalyst for the Kingdom wherever they go. Help us continue to forge disciples who possess the resolve to stay faithful and the tools to make disciples. Your investment in the Multiply Fund makes this transformation possible.