Laity Lodge--The Setting and Spirit

This is the second post in a series of four about the writer'r retreat at Laity Lodge. Click on the following links to read the other posts:
Part 1
Part 3
Part 4


Edgar Cayce once said that our homes on earth should be a shadow of heaven. We should try to make our surroundings on earth as much like heaven as possible.

I have often tried to picture in my mind’s eye what this would look like. Unless someone had seen heaven, this would be hard to create. Even the descriptions in the Revelation of John in the New Testament would be hard to emulate.

Knowing that we are limited on this plain by our imaginations and abilities, I imagine heaven on earth as a place of beauty, complete with flowing springs, vibrant colors and lush green grass and trees. This is what I found at Laity Lodge in Leakey, Texas. Just see for yourself.

Finishing off the pictures of heaven on earth was the spirit of the place. The staff, by design, treated us like family. They did this by providing snacks 24/7. They told us where they would be available and how to access them throughout the night if wanted. We were provided with access to all of the buildings 24 hours a day. So, if someone was awake at two in the morning and felt inclined to meditate in the conference room, they had access and were welcome to do so.

We were allowed to check out books from the bookstore and read them at our leisure. Then, we could return them when ready. We weren’t required to purchase them or anything else. The irony is that they probably sold many more books with this marketing strategy than they would have with a more rigid policy.

My most favorite thing about the spirit of the place was that they told us that we would not be hunted down to attend any writer’s sessions or events. On the contrary. If it was time for a writer’s workshop, or other session, and we felt more compelled to go to the river for meditation or to go for a walk, to follow our heart. There would be no demand for attendance and no tardy slips would be issued. This freedom enabled me to enter into a state of true rest.

When I received the news that I had won the contest for going to this writer’s retreat at Laity Lodge, one of the editors left a comment on my blog post that Laity Lodge is holy ground. Indeed it is.

Amen.


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

Linking up with LL Barkat at Seedlings in Stone.  
and Laura Bogess at The Wellspring