A few weeks ago I was grounded. My supervisors asked that I stay home from campus for a week to focus all my efforts toward my funding. While this is what I needed, there were times I was lonely and seemed to be unable to see beyond the end of my nose. I was frustrated I could not be on campus with my students who had been studying Ephesians and pulling incredible things from the text. I missed seeing them struggle with things, and come to new understandings right before my eyes.

If I wasn’t there, what would happen? Would God continue to stretch and grow the students, while I was home alone? Funny I should ask. Their assignment for the week was to spend an hour away from the house (or face the threat of 10 push ups upon my return) with a guided retreat of scripture and questions about their current circumstances. Each of the scriptures were the many times Jesus got away from it all: his friends, popularity, responsibilities… and went to spend time with his Father. He needed to be renewed and refreshed through conversation about who he was and his purposes. And through the silence of just knowing who his Father is.

So the students set themselves apart. They went to cafes, libraries, museums, and parks. Phones were forgotten, minds meditated, and hearts honed in on the voice of Jesus. They were asked tough questions about pressures they were feeling, anxieties they were bringing to situations, dark clouds that were looming ahead, and what they might need to turn their backs away from in order to take steps forward. And as we discussed some of these ‘not fun to think about’ issues, and examined the ‘negative’ influences in our current situations, we actually found it was ‘just what we needed!’ In a culture that bases its pride on being ‘so busy’ we’re somehow surprised that we need to retreat from it all… just like Jesus did.

The Greek IV story was shared by Erin Ravensberg Author Website: http://iugreekiv.blogspot.com Author Email: Contact Author Author Bio: Erin is a campus staff worker with Greek InterVarsity at Indiana University. More Stories by Erin Ravensberg

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This post is tagged Reflection, Sorority, worship