Where I sit
I took 3 days to be alone. In quiet, solitude, and rest. Here at a retreat center called Christ in the wilderness, in Stockton, Illinois. 3 days of bird song, wind rustling leaves, deer cautiously regarding me. Birds at the feeder. Why do we love to feed birds? I wonder. Space like this makes room for all kinds of wondering. I've been here 3 times - 2020, 2021, and now. Five years is too long to stay away from this sanctuary. I've been to other retreat centers - also refreshing and soul restoring. "He restores my soul." "In pastures green, He leadeth me, the quiet waters by," in the words of the Psalter. I listen, pause. These moments are holy - set apart to be with Jesus, to consider the wilderness He took 40 days to wander. I think of Him, walking, resting, praying. If He did this, why don't we all wander the wilderness in some capacity. Maybe because my life feels like a barren wilderness sometimes. I wonder if Jesus treasured the wilderness or i...