Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Laity Lodge Writer's Retreat-Getting There


This is the first post in a four part series. To read the other posts click on the link:
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4



I have had this trip planned for less than a month. I am going to Laity Lodge for a writer’s retreat. I won the retreat, which was a special bonus. The day is Sept. 29, 2011: the 17th anniversary of my father’s death. I usually never forget this date. I have thought about it several times in the past couple of weeks. But today, I am so busy and so full of hope that it doesn’t cross my mind. If my dad were here, he would tell me not to dwell on the date. “It’s just another day,” would be his words.

I am busy packing, and making sure that I have the kids situated. I am also going to have lunch with a very dear friend on the way. We haven’t been able to have a good visit, face to face in over a year. We are long overdue. She calls and we talk. I am way behind schedule with packing. “Quit talking and finish packing!” she tells me. I do as I am told.

I get on the road and as I travel, I see yellow grass on the side of the highway; evidence of the drought that has plagued Central Texas for the past year. Finally, I arrive in her city, where we have a long, late lunch. We have a very valuable visit. But, it comes to an end and before I get back on I-10, I stop at the grocery store to buy a notebook and some batteries for my camera. There are clouds in the sky. This is rare in these parts. The smell of rain is in the air. I see a sprinkle or two on my windshield.

Many times throughout the drought, I have thought about water being the symbol of the Holy Spirit. With us having no rain, it is almost symbolic of a dryness of our spirits. This is something that we have to fight against. But on this special day, when I am on my way to a much needed retreat, I see rain threatening. I feel that it is symbolic of a breakthrough: the thirst of my spirit is about to be satisfied. When I exit the store, I see a hard, downpour. It is the first time that I have seen this sight in almost a year. This is a great sign. People are crowding around the entrance to the store, as if not knowing what to do. They are putting things over their heads in an effort not to get wet. I am wondering, what are these people doing? How long have we been praying for rain? I don’t care how wet I get, I am going to walk in it and be thankful.

I am reminded of a passage in Priscilla Shirer’s book, One in a Million, given to me by a friend and sister in Christ. In it, Priscilla shares a time in which she was jogging and got caught in the rain, and raced home so she wouldn’t get very wet. She said that she felt God telling her that people pray for rain, but when they get it, they don’t want to get wet. I try to keep from being in that group. But only because of what I learned from Priscilla.





Rolling Hills were part of the scenery of my trip.


I start traveling on to Leakey, Texas and the rain stops. The sun is out for the rest of the trip. The sky is a beautiful blue and the roadside reveals a rocky topography. I am in the heart of the hill country now, traveling up and down the rolling hills, out in the middle of nowhere.


On the dirt road leading to Laity Lodge





The road leads into the river.



The river has a hard bottom.





We had to drive through the river to get to Laity Lodge.





Water splashes as our cars rumble through the river.



I arrive at the destination. I turn in and follow my roadmap and signs on the dirt road, up and down the rolling hills, surrounded by trees. Then, I drive my car through a very shallow river with a hard bottom, back onto the dirt road leading to Laity Lodge. I am full of hopefulness as I park the car.


Arrival at the destination. I am soooo full of hope.

To read the next article in this series about Laity Lodge, go here.

Linking this post up with LL. Barkat at Seedlings in Stone.
On In Around button

Linking up with Laura Boggess at Playdates At the Wellspring






Copyright 2011 by Kathy Robbins

16 comments:

  1. As I watched people link their entries to the contest, I kept feeling conflicted. I wanted to win, but I also wanted so many others to win. When your name was chosen, I had no idea who you were. And now I do. You were the one who was supposed to be there. I had no idea about the retreat coinciding with the anniversary of your father's death. I think my dad would have said the same thing--don't dwell on it. Loved seeing the pictures of the river again(good thing you stopped for those batteries!) and I loved this line, "I don’t care how wet I get, I am going to walk in it and be thankful."

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  2. Thanks for stopping by Nancy. I wanted to wait before I wrote about the retreat--to have a chance to process the experience. I am so thankful to have met all of you. I am hooked--hope to return every year.

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  3. It can be a huge help to let things "settle" before trying to write about it.

    And I'm right beside Nancy on that conflicted thing. I'm glad you two got to meet :)

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  4. Ohhh Sheila. I was hoping to meet you there. I didn't realize that you wouldn't be going. If I wouldn't have won the contest, I couldn't have gone. I am sorry that you didn't make it. I hope we can all be there next year.

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  5. Oh, Kathy Robbins! I recognized your name on my blog as the one who won the Laity Lodge retreat and now I come over here and you've written about it and made me feel I was there. (I did not enter because of a new grandbaby coming at that time, but I prayed the winner would be renewed and restored by the sessions and people.) Wonderful photos! Love what you wrote about people praying for rain, then trying not to get wet. Looking forward to hearing more about your time at Laity Lodge, if you care to write about it.

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  6. Thanks for stopping by Marilyn. Thank you for the prayers. I was definitely renewed and restored. I will be writing more soon.

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  7. Such good sharing!

    And Kathi, I go out and get wet. The first day it rained (in September) the kids and I went out and got absolutely soaked.

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  8. Thanks for stopping by Megan. We have been without rain for so long, when we get it, we should take a shower in it!!

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  9. Kathy! I'm so glad you shared this Playdate. What a gift it was to meet you and share in that special weekend. Last year was my first time to Laity Lodge and I can't explain it...the place changes you. I've been trying to hold on to that feeling since we left. So grateful our good God brought us together. So very glad.

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  10. "I don't care how wet I get, I'm going to walk in it and be thankful."

    Sounds like grace to me! Thanks for taking us along for the ride -- may you be drenched in blessings.

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  11. oh kathy, i'm so glad you won. i had entered the contest too, but it just wasn't meant to be this year. i love this post, and your heart. e.

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  12. Thank you Laura. It was a great weekend and I am like you. I just can't quite explain it. I hope that we are both there next year.
    Blessings,
    Kathy

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  13. Thanks for stopping by Matthew. It was a wonderful ride. Thank you for the blessings--so beautiful a comment!

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  14. Thank you Emily...you are very sweet. And I hope that you win next time. Wish we could both have won.
    Blessings,
    Kathy

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  15. You forgot the part about how I almost ran you over! ;)

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  16. LOL!! Carolyn, I am so glad to have connected with you! I was driving like a Grandma! Driving like a grandma will be a blog post for next week. Promise...
    Blessings,
    Kathy

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