Hi all, here we are with Week 33! My friend Emma shares on how getting away from it all helped her to find God in the quiet and the still on holiday. Emma and I met on a course called "Seeking the Way" as we were both figuring out our next steps. I'm so glad we've kept in touch and that she has written something for us this week.
In Emma's words...
As a secondary school teacher, I always look forward to the end of the summer term immensely. It can be a bit of a hard slog getting through those final weeks, and as I’ve been juggling teaching and training for ordination together this year, I was doubly looking forward to a break!
Whilst eagerly packing for a two week break to the Pembrokeshire coast, dreaming of lazy beach days and ice creams, my husband chimed in with, “you’re not taking any study books, right? Nothing theological - you’re supposed to be having a break!” Yes, I thought, he’s right - I should take a break from theology, give myself a bit of time off from study, ministry, and just chill. Maybe I’ll listen to Daily Prayer, maybe I won’t!
It was in the middle of our fortnight away that I found myself on Caldey Island. Caldey is a tiny place, only accessible by boat, and home to a small community of Cistercian monks. It has called itself home to some form of monastic community for centuries, and in recent years it has become something of a tourist attraction, with daily boat trips for visitors to be able to enjoy its beautiful walks and homemade chocolate :)
For me, what started as a pleasant day trip became something far more profound. I’m a sensory, tactile kind of person - I hear and see God in the sound of wind rustling the leaves on the trees, or in the way light reflects off of the surface of a lake. For me, God is colour and music and vibrant life. But in recent weeks, the still small voice had been a bit lost amongst the hustle and bustle of finishing work, finishing assignments, arranging placements and the generally chaotic to-ing and fro-ing between work, children’s clubs, home and everywhere else! It's been hard to really hear God above the hubbub, and I hadn’t really noticed just how distant I’d been.
On Caldey, you have no option but to slow down and surrender yourself to the quiet. There is very little on the island, and that is the beauty of it; it takes you off grid, away from the noise, and envelops you in peace and stillness. Sitting in St David’s church (not to be confused with the far bigger and more impressive St David’s Cathedral!) I felt an almost tangible sense of God’s presence; maybe it was in the softly flickering tea lights on the votive stand, maybe it was in the rays of sun shining through the stained glass casting rainbow shapes on the flagstones. Or maybe it was just the glorious silence - silence that had been desperately absent from my everyday life, and was now creating so much space for me to feel God with me, beside me, in front of me, speaking to me.
God stayed with me for the rest of the day; walking up to the lighthouse, looking back towards the mainland from the highest point on the island, and back over on the boat later in the afternoon. It was like I’d taken a deep breath in, but let out more than just air - I’d let go of all the distractions, all of the noise, and breathed God fully into my day. Life can be such a rush sometimes, such a juggle of responsibilities, that it feels like time with God is squeezed into an unimaginably small space. Caldey broke that space wide open for me to encounter God in His wonder and glory, and I can hear Him loud and clear once again, eager to hear what He’s got to say. Paradoxically, getting away from it all helped me to find what mattered most.
Thank you all so much for reading this story about God connecting with his people. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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