A Different Kind of Family Retreat

Most people dream about a family retreat.

A place by the lake. A cabin in the mountains. A getaway where the pace slows down for a few days before everyone returns to real life.

My daughter Mary, my son-in-law Matt, and his parents chose something different.

Instead of purchasing a vacation home or weekend getaway, they purchased a farm by a river.

At first glance, that might not seem very restful. There are will be animals to care for. Land to maintain. Projects that never seem to end.

But after spending Memorial Day there with our family, including Ashley and Jeff, little Lily Mae, Indie Mae, Christopher, Jonathan, Augustino, and Avila Mae, I realized they were creating something much deeper than a place to escape.

They were creating a place to connect.

A place to connect with one another.

A place to connect with God’s creation.

And ultimately, a place to connect with God Himself.

As I watched the grandchildren run through open fields, explore the woods, laugh together, meet the animals, and discover the wonders of farm life, it struck me that they were learning something many adults have forgotten:

How to delight in what God has already created.

David wrote:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Psalm 19:1

Children seem to understand this naturally.

They don’t need expensive entertainment to experience joy.

A butterfly can hold their attention. A trail through the woods can become an adventure. A horse, a chicken, a goat, or a field full of wildflowers can spark wonder for an entire afternoon.

They instinctively see what creation has been declaring all along that God is good, creative, powerful, and present.

As I watched Christopher, Jonathan, Augustino, Avila Mae, Indie Mae, and Lily Mae explore the farm, I couldn’t help but think about how much of our adult lives are spent rushing past the very things that reveal God to us.

We chase schedules. 

We manage deadlines. 

We stare at screens. 

We fill every quiet moment with noise.

Meanwhile, God’s fingerprints are everywhere.

The rustling leaves. 

The evening sunset. 

The sound of birds greeting the morning. 

The gentle rhythm of animals grazing in a field.

Creation constantly invites us to slow down and notice the Creator.

Jesus often did this with His disciples.

In Matthew 6, He pointed people to the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. He used creation as a classroom, reminding His followers that their Heavenly Father cares for them even more than He cares for the sparrows.

Perhaps that is one of the greatest gifts Mary and Matt are giving their children, along with us.

Not simply a farm.

Not merely family memories.

But a front-row seat to God’s creation.

A place where wonder can grow.

A place where curiosity is encouraged.

A place where children learn that rest isn’t found in entertainment, but in paying attention to God’s presence in the world He made.

And maybe that’s a lesson adults need as much as children.

Many of us keep waiting for rest to arrive someday.

After the project is finished. After the calendar clears. After retirement. After the next vacation.

Yet true rest was never meant to be found merely in a destination.

It is found in the presence of God.

Creation simply helps us notice Him.

This family retreat reminded me of something God has been teaching humanity since the beginning: Sometimes the best way to find rest is not by escaping life but by stepping back into the world God created.

By slowing down.

By looking up.

By paying attention.

By allowing wonder to lead us back to worship.

Maybe this week, before reaching for your phone or rushing to the next task, take a walk outside.

Watch the sunset.

Listen to the birds.

Notice the beauty around you.

Because the same God who created the fields, the forests, the animals, and the stars is also caring for you.

And sometimes His invitation to rest comes through the very things He created.

Mary and Matt may have purchased a farm, but what they are really building is a different kind of family retreat, a place where children learn to enjoy God’s creation, where family gathers and reconnects, and where wonder quietly points hearts back to the Creator.

And in a world moving faster every day, that may be one of the greatest gifts we can give the next generation.