Schedule it!

Christine Labrum
4 days ago
4 min read

Updated: 22 hours ago

Spiritual practice: personal retreat

What do I diligently schedule? Written on paper or added to a digital calendar: doctor's appointments, work, grocery shopping, church or school events, vacation, financial planning, or spiritual retreat? What have I committed to and created space for?

Sometimes I hesitate to schedule the things that are truly important to me... perhaps due to anxiety, an unnamed resistance, expense, or something else. Currently I am procrastinating on registering for a local art league painting class this winter that would be beneficial, offering structure and community. I am not quite sure why I am hesitating, it is a good and wise decision. So how does it work for you? How do you schedule the things that are important to you? Is it easy or difficult?

I value my relationship with God. And I believe that the health of my relationship with God is important to God and foundational to the well-being of my family and my ministry and work. Over the years I have learned that scheduling extended time with God, a personal retreat, is a spiritual practice that bears good fruit in my life.

Just this week I began looking at the calendar to schedule a retreat in January 2026. Over twenty years ago I began planning retreat time 2 or 3 times a year. My season of life with young children shaped what was possible at that time: sometimes a half day or an overnight was all that I could manage. I had other values that influenced my schedule in concrete ways. Grocery shopping, family or community gatherings, doctor's appointments, and getting my car inspected also made it onto my calendar. If I did not go grocery shopping the fridge would be empty, and if I did not get my car inspected there could be consequences. If I do not tend my soul, eventually, depletion will result in distress and overload. How can my calendar and use of time reflect my values?

Time to attend to God is not an extravagance, like icing on a cake, but rather it is essential. If retreat is a new spiritual practice, could you explore how planning a retreat might be meaningful and beneficial, given your unique personality, resources, and season of life? And if it is already one of your practices, have you scheduled a 2026 retreat yet?

Planning a Personal Retreat

Schedule it! A weekend, an overnight, or even a half day/day to get away from your usual rhythms. Mark that day on your calendar as sacred.
Location: You can retreat at a hotel, Airbnb, a friend's home, or a space like The Welcoming Place, Akron. Ask God to provide and prayerfully consider your options.
Three fold focus: (Although there may be others like vision or work, celebration, etc.)
- How do I need REST (Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual)?
- What is God's invitation to REPENTANCE (turning back to God, realignment, discernment, attention to addictive or unhealthy habits)?
- What is need for RENEWAL (inner healing, creative and visionary ideas, relational repair or engagement, missional guidance)?
Resources:
- Books - I created Come as a guide through a personal retreat with journal space.
  Come: God's Invitation to Rest and Renewal, personal retreat guidebook
  Invitation to Retreat, Ruth Haley Barton
  Invitation to Silence and Solitude, Ruth Haley Barton
  The Return of the Prodigal Son, Henri Nouwen
  Boundaries for Your Soul, Allison Cook & Kimberly Miller (soul work)
- Creativity - Would some sort of creative prayer be meaningful. Collage is an accessible way to be creative if you do not see yourself as artistic or you do. There are multiple ways to include creative prayer activity in retreat.
- Chocolate - A little chocolate is integral to retreat time (or a treat that you enjoy).
Elements you may want include in retreat:
- Gratitude - Reflect on God's blessing and provision.
- Celebration - Remember and delight in fruitfulness. How could you do this in a concrete way?
- Healing - Are there hurts in your life that need God's healing and/or need to be named and grieved with God?
- Review spiritual and life rhythms - Consider your toolbox for well-being (prayer, engaging Scripture, fasting, service and ministry, silence, generosity, work-sabbath rhythms, play, etc.). Are there invitations to different tools?
- Take a nap - We are created for rest.

Basket for retreat — Personal retreat in a basket

There are places that host silent retreats, providing guided personal time with God without being completely alone. For those who shepherd, Space to Listen will offer a Shepherd's Prayer Retreat in early spring. This retreat provides some community engagement and some alone time.

Perhaps the gift of a retreat basket/box would be meaningful for you or a shepherd you care about. You could include: Book (Come - personal retreat guidebook listed below), candle (reminder to attend to God and to the light), journal, a pitcher (a reminder to fill up before pouring out), a reminder to play (bubbles or something fun), and chocolate. You could also include a gift card/certificate for a location. Add any other reminders of God's love... consider a retreat as a romantic get-away with the One who loves you most.