Everyone needs a getaway once in a while. Most people dream of a spa getaway. I had the privilege to enjoy such getaway this past weekend. I went away to what I like to call my own Spiritually Peaceful Atonement (SPA) with the Lord. It was a weekend spent in silence doing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatious of Loyola. It was not my first SPA getaway but the last time was five years ago so I was in dire need of this much anticipated SPA.
Even though it is easier to find God when we go away on retreat, the truth is that God is everywhere. It's true that there are certain places that facilitate finding Him. For me, it's near the water. I love to sit by the seashore to pray. That is when I feel the closest to God. For some people is in the mountains. They say that when they are in top of the mountain and they see the whole world at their feet, they feel God's presence. I am not much of a mountain person but I experienced this recently on a plane ride. I usually take the aisle seat but this time, the plane was pretty empty and I had three rows of seats to myself. So I moved to the window seat. It was a clear day and I was flying from Hartford, Connecticut to Miami. I was lucky to be on the right side of the plane and most of the flight was near the coastline. I got to experience first hand God's beautiful creation. I saw beaches, hills and valleys. I saw mountains in the distance. I saw swamps and I saw dry land. I saw the green of the trees and the blue of the ocean. And I saw God, because this was His artwork and He was in the artwork.
But we do not need to jump on a plane, we do not need to go up a mountain, we do not need to be by the seashore and we do not need to go to a retreat in order to find God. He is everywhere. We can find Him in all places if we set our mind to it.
St. Ignatious of Loyola gave the first Spiritual Exercises to his first companions in the middle of turbulent Paris. And God was there. He was there for me too the only time I've had the privilege to visit that beautiful city for my daughter's fifteenth birthday. We were driving, trying to find a gas station and we could not find one anywhere. The fuel gauge kept showing us that we had 50 kilometers left, 40, 30, 20... When it reached 10 we stopped on the side of the road. Ten years ago we didn't have a GPS with us that could show us where the nearest gas station was. Rafael decided to go search for one on his feet. He figured that way we would know in which direction to drive instead of wasting the last few liters of fuel driving with no direction. Instead of finding gas, we found God in the outskirts of Paris. He sent us an English-speaking angel to take us to the nearest gas station which was just one block away but in the opposite direction from where Rafael was walking.
God is present everywhere. In the outskirts of Paris and in the streets of Miami. When we are stuck in traffic, God is there. It's actually a great time to talk to God. Turn off the radio and have a personal chat with the Lord. Before you know it, you will have arrived at your destination without stress. When I walk in the mornings, God walks with me. I can feel His presence all around me, in the gentle sway of the trees, in the rustling of the leaves, in the whisper of the wind, in the warmth of the first rays of sunshine, in the chirping noise of the birds as they sing their morning song, in the smell of my neighbor's mango tree, in the ducks that waddle their way across the street... He is everywhere. We just need to tune up our senses to alert them to His presence.
Yes, it is easier to find Him and to hear His voice when we go away on retreat. During my special SPA weekend with the Lord, I heard His voice loud and clear. But realistically, I can't go away on retreat every week. It's even hard to make the time once a year. It had been five years for me since I gave myself this treat. So I need to find the way to make time for God in my own home. I created a special corner where I retreat to when I need to be by myself with my Creator. I tune out the sound of the television coming from the family room and this is the time when I pray, when I meditate, when I hear His voice and when I become a pencil in His hand.
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