So, we went on this hike.
Have you ever taken the time to go be by yourself out in the wilderness, completely unplugged, to spend time with God?
I HIGHLY recommended it.
A spiritual retreat. That is what all of the apprentices participated in during our first week in Georgia. We were assigned groups of 5-6 apprentices with either 2 or 3 leaders. Each team was dropped at a different location along the trail and left to fend for themselves for 4 days. As we hiked, we were asked to be silent and allow God to speak into some of the prompting questions we were asked.
Is God good? Does God speak to you? Do you hear from God? What do you want to take from this season you just left?
Over the course of 2 days we hiked roughly 10 miles, so it was by no means particularly strenuous except when the incline increased. On the third day, we woke up, and our leaders told us that we would be spending an entire day alone in the woods. They were shocked when most of us seemed highly enthused until they realized that all of the apprentices in the group were introverts. Too funny. They also said that if we wanted to fast, we were welcome to.
I felt the urging to fast because in my experience, it has brought me a lot of clarity about things that have otherwise remained quite cloudy. After setting up my hammock, grabbing my Bible and journal, and sitting down, God and I had the day in front of us. It was awesome and incredibly hard all in one. I had no timepiece with me but around lunchtime (I think), I felt God saying that He wanted to eat a meal with me. Far be it for me to continue fasting when He invites me on a dinner date! Also, I was very hungry by this point so that was kind of Him. He showed me that He loves me enough to want to sit down and have a meal with me. This may seem simple but it was profound that day. I’m not going to provide lots of details about what God spoke to me because that was time for Him and I, but a theme was definitely identity.
IDENTITY.
That’s my word for this season. Somewhere along the journey of my life I started to believe that my wiring was wrong. Adventures in Missions is very much about personality tests, particularly the Myers Briggs. While I love learning about what makes people tick, every time I read a description about my type I felt like it made me sound like a computer, void of feelings or compassion. Suffice it to say, I’ve had to learn how to love myself again. That’s exactly what I’m walking through and it’s been incredibly insightful so far.
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