I drove away from the retreat with perfect views. Well, maybe they weren’t perfect, but they seemed that way to me in the moment.

I pulled away from the complex and looked ahead. The hills seemed dark in contrast to the brilliant pink, blue, and purple sunrise behind it. The sky was ready to burst. I thought of the many times I’d pulled away from the annual retreat with a sigh of gratitude and sense of readiness. This retreat had a different rhythm to it than many before. I wrote minimally. I worked a lot. I didn’t relax in the same ways I might have in the past, but there was something rejuvenating about the relationships.

I always appreciate the friendships, the collaboration of the women with whom I share the week. Perhaps it felt different because of my own positioning. I felt deeply grateful. God has provided women who love me with encouragement and accountability in the context of truth and faith. I am thankful for these women. I’m thankful for what God does in my life and, more importantly, who he is. He used several women during the retreat week to remind me of core truths and important coping strategies.

The time we spend together each year is brief, but it’s healing. It’s one of my favorite getaways, the only one I intentionally set time aside for every year. There are many aspects of the annual retreat that are the same, and the consistency is beautiful, like a sunrise. Yet every retreat is beautiful in its own way. No two are exactly the same, like a sunrise.

Appreciate the sunrise. Value consistency as well as uniqueness. Let the colors inspire you as you drive to the next adventure. Don’t miss the opportunities to be emptied out and recharged in surprising ways. Our expectations can get in the way of how God plans to provide.