Missing the Chance to Retreat

Today in normal times, in the time before this pandemic, I'd be headed to the mountains, to the Create in Me retreat.  This year, I'm selfishly glad that the retreat has been cancelled, because I'm not sure I would be able to be there.  I would have needed to be here in South Florida for the past two days, and I am grateful not to be driving twelve hours today.

But there is also a level of grief at this second year of cancellation.  I think cancelling the retreat was the right thing to do, and there will be a Zoom call on Saturday as a sort of cancellation.  I do worry that the retreat was losing momentum before COVID, and maybe these 2 years of cancellations will be the death blow.

Of course, maybe these two years of no retreat will make us all more dedicated to getting ourselves there each year.  Maybe we will treasure it more.

In past years, I've assumed the retreat would always be there--how could it not?  I've assumed that retreat centers would always be there.  I've assumed that I would always be able to go, that I would be working at jobs that would give me time off, and that somehow, I would be able to get away--at least most years.

This year, I'm wondering where we will all be next year on the Thursday after Easter.  I am hopeful that we will all be headed to the mountain top.  Next year Easter comes later on April 17, so the retreat will be the last week-end in April.

My hope is that I will have to plan carefully, because I will be in my second semester of seminary studies.  Hopefully, any final exams will be later.  Hopefully, my seminary professors will say, "Of course you should go to that retreat."  Maybe I will even get some kind of extra credit!  I am enrolling in a Theology and the Arts track, after all.