The Restory Retreat Centre

“No matter how slow the film, Spirit always stands still long enough for the photographer it has chosen.”                                                                                        - Minor White Every retreat is a journey in itself, a process of discovery and growth.  I have always been fascinated by the wealth of knowledge that abounds and the intellect’s ability to tap into that and apply it in any number of ways. To a large degree my mind has always been my tool of choice in relating and understanding my world. In a society and culture that prides itself in being rational, it was to my advantage. However, through grace and my exposure to contemplation I have discovered how limited and limiting my approach has been all...

Photograph by Hanna Jacobs In the session I had with my spiritual director today, we touched on how unfathomably delicate God is weaving the tapestry of our lives. Being human it comes natural to assign huge value to our talents, abilities and our achievements. For the focus to be first and foremost on those aspects. And I want to say: “Thank you so much for all that.” But I am also deeply, deeply grateful for my darkness, my shadow as constant companion, my flawed self. To keep me in check? To prevent me from hubris ? No, it is not about shaming, or taming. It is not even about perspective. It is about what I find in the dark. To discover how God works with dark. My darkness. Somehow, in the darkness, I am getting a clearer image of His being.There, even my sin becomes grace. All that I know is that it takes a God to do that. If my devils are to leave me, I’m afraid my angels will take flight as well. Rainer Maria Rilke ~ o ~ Today (11/03/2013) I came acro...

Sometimes life asks the impossible of us: like packing up and moving from a place where you have lived for many decades of your life; emigrating; losing a life partner to an early death, a loved one to suicide. Sometimes, as in the case of a very dear friend of mine, it asks that you accompany your eighteen year old son through the dark valleys of chemotherapy and radiation in a fight against cancer; or it asks that you be that young man fighting this battle. It is hard to stand at the edge of such a situation and to not really know how to help. We always feel that we should somehow make it better. We somehow feel that the difficult things should be put behind us as soon as possible, or be avoided at all costs. We feel that the situations life puts us in and where we suffer pain or hardship = wrong or even evil. We pray for deliverance, for healing, for the miracle that will make everything better. But all around us life is happening and it is messy. It is mostly hard. We wer...