Rivendell Retreat

Rivendell Retreat - Bowen Island (BC)

It hard to describe what I have been feeling the past few months. The last year has been an adventure, packed with many moments of grandeur and life giving opportunities. Spanning these moment have been both challenges to learn from and victories to celebrate. This last week I took some much need time out to reflect, think and pray and give thanks to Jesus, who by his grace has brought me to where I am thus far. 

When I first arrived in Vancouver, many people at Regent spoke of the Rivendel Retreat Lodge on Bowen Island. I have always been keen to check it out, and I loved the thought of getting away to prayer and spend sometime away from the city out in creation. So finally last week after I cancelled my trip to London I headed to the Horseshoe bay to catch the midday Ferry.

After a short ferry ride across the bay I began my trek up the hill to the lodge on a beautiful spring day. I meandered up the grey snake like road, I wondered through the quaint little coast town. The sun was shining, the smell of a new season was in the air.
I could literally smell,
taste
and touch the change that hung in the air.

Change

Something that I desired so badly in my heart after months of grey winter skies and trying so hard to steward work and studying - all the doing had finally taken its toll on me. My mind, body and soul was in much need of rejuvenation and new vision.

As the sun beat down,  I cried out to the Lord to show me my path for the next season, to affirm where I was and the purposes that he had for me in Canada. Nearing the end of the climb, I passed through a construction sight and I had a wonderful word from the Lord. At first, I muttered negative thoughts about the mess of the construction sight and how ugly it looked. Even though I knew the end result would be a beautiful house looking of the majestic bay. I realized at that very point that my life in fact felt like a bit of a construction sight. It wasn't all that attractive. I know that from the outside people might sometimes think that I had it together, but the truth is, non of us really have it together and it is by God grace that we forge on, living out what our creator has called us to do. Anyway, back to the picture. So my life a construction sight- God the clearing away to make space for something beautiful to be built. Sometimes the clearing and the foundation making, the pouring of concrete and blandness of these stages is a little disillusioning. sometimes you cant see the plan for what the final building will look like although you get hints or glimpses of it as you go along. Praying through this image I receive renewed revelation and confidence about the journey that I am on. I life long journey. Although I may not know and see the final purposes of my time in Canada. I do feel that it is strategic; a laying of the foundation, the clearing for something beautiful to be built. My life in construction, not more, no less, but in a process of being made better. Not by me but by the master architect and builder. The one who sees and knows the end from the begging. What a joy to know that ultimately my life is in the hands of the one who created me. Praise God.


Isaiah 40:28- 31

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.