I've been away on a retreat in the woods, and what refreshment it was!
There was time to reflect on the big picture, long moments to ponder the miraculous details.
Out in the quiet one can hear one's own heartbeat more clearly, can sense God speaking in that still soft voice we often miss in the hustle and hassle of normal life. You can almost watch your own self unfolding and emerging, as a leaf hidden in the deep woods.
I turned a corner in a trail and thought about the direction of my own life's path... so many twists and unexpected turns...
Getting away used to seem so frivolous, I used to tell myself, "I don't have time for that." And now I'm telling myself how essential it is, and promise myself that the world can wait while we retreat and get rooted and grounded again... Somehow the woods does that in a wonderful way.
I have been in Lake Tahoe on a retreat, and now am home refreshed.
Very soon I'll be in New York again but the essence of the woods will remain like a lingering perfume that scents both my self and my imagery.
