Sometimes a "quiet retreat" is simply taking a little trip down memory lane, revisiting some happy moments from the family archives.
A spring snapshot of our toddler plunked down in a bed of azaleas brings back memories of a road trip to Arkansas with friends. We were trying to figure out how to travel with toddlers, working around their eating/sleeping schedules yet still trying to take in some local sights.
When we surrendered our adult agendas, we were more able to see the beauty already around us: the wonder of blossoming flowers seen through a child's eyes.
Sometimes we discovered serendipity when we weren't following a schedule... like arriving at these fountains just as vendors were handing out free hot chocolate chip cookies.
The seasonal shift into fall evokes memories of boys creating nests in large leaf piles, a gentle reminder that these multi-colored foliage bits foster imaginative play in a child's eyes rather than a pesky chore to their parents.
Another sweet memory is the large snowfall that shut everything down just enough to barricade us in at home for a few days, creating plenty of time for us to build our own igloo retreat.
Just as our mothers' hearts tighten just a bit as we remember those early childhood days, so must our Lord's memory of us grow tender as we come back to Him in quiet surrender, seeking quiet retreat in Him.
God provides a beautiful backdrop with a new element each season, freshening our perspectives and energizing our spirits.
It's nice to cozy up with our now-bigger kids and enjoy these little hiding places tucked along memory lane, grateful for what the Lord has provided.
What will you discover on your "quiet retreat" today?
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