woman writingDear Fellow Guild Members,

I write to you all from the midst of my annual retreat, repeating my annual counsel to you to find such a time for yourselves, if at all possible. I have had two weeks, in my own home, in which to rest, pray, and write, for the past 15 years. I look forward to this time of renewal, and really can’t imagine how I could have done without it!

It takes me a couple of days to shift gears into the ‘alone’ mode from my normal life with family members. Though the tribe is down to four kids, that’s a lot of hubbub. I replace the noise with a couple of chick flicks my husband didn’t want to watch, and then settle into the long, lovely days without so much as a crossword puzzle to distract me from being present to myself and to God.

The opportunity for deep recollection, evaluation of projects and priorities, synthesis of new thoughts and ideas with works in progress, and exploration of my own yearnings is priceless. I cover these kinds of self-awareness with prayers for God’s guidance and peace. I carry the clarity and insights from this process with me all year long. I want to be able to persevere in projects, or to drop them without hesitation, as He directs. My goal is, as I’ve discussed in Souls at Work, to “wield myself according to my own desires, and yield myself according to His.”

It’s not always easy to discern whether a blockage in a project signifies a closed door, or a mountain to climb. It’s not always clear whether a lack of success (judged by sales, or the responsiveness of others) is an indication to rethink whether the Body of Christ needs this particular work from me, or whether it is simply my cross to bear in giving my work freely. Is that new idea an inspiration from God, or a distraction from work in progress?

Questions like these, in the life of an artist, or of anyone hoping to join their work to the will of God, can’t be answered without deep consideration of self in the light of Christ, within. I hope you’ll find time, as I have, to give them real attention in the context of quiet separation from your day-to-day activities.

I believe that the work of writers and artists is of tremendous importance to the Church and to the world. You may have trouble taking it seriously enough to make space for such a retreat. That’s why I want to encourage you! Maybe the Guild’s retreat is just what you need, or maybe home is the best place for you to meditate among the files and unfinished manuscripts.

I pray that you’ll each have the blessing of the retreat that is just what you – and your writing – need.

Love, Charlotte

2 Replies to “You Need a Retreat!”

  1. Thank you so much for this article. It’s a pity that although my family took a road trip without me this summer, I was too sick. Still, my time alone was not wasted. I prayed a lot. Sometimes that is all one can do.

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