You have a great vision for your family. How you want your family to be, what you want your family to achieve. Sometimes, getting it all into words can be a challenge. Maybe you aren’t sure if your husband or wife shares the same vision, or even what his or her own vision might be.
Make plans for a weekend away to pray together and talk about your vision – a mission retreat. Find a quiet hotel with room service (preferably a suite for comfort), a quiet lakeside cabin, a rental by the sea, or a private retreat in the country, as near to home as you can be – within and hour or so – in case you need to be back in a hurry. The idea is to find a place where you are least likely to be disturbed or distracted by outside activity and noise.
It is important to get a whole weekend away – Friday evening to Sunday evening. And it is important that you and your spouse are alone, unless you have a nursling who needs you. It is essential that you make plans for as soon as you can make arrangements – child care for your children, someone to watch the house and pets, etc. This is a life-changing retreat that will make your family everything you always dreamed it would be.
During the weekend, you will be beginning to form a mission for your family, which will be your guide in making all decisions including your children’s education, discipline, extracurricular activities, your own career path… everything. The mission will also be a guide to help your children to make important decisions about activities to be involved with, friends, and more.
Bring notebooks, pens, prayer books, Bible, sacramentals, and photos of your children, photos of yourselves – whatever you can think of to help keep you focused. Bring nourishing food if you aren’t going to be at a hotel with room service. Be sure to take enough provisions so that you don’t need to go out to the grocery during your retreat. Finally, you may want to take along a CD player with inspirational, meditative music selections.
Throughout the weekend, be sure to remember to break to eat, take a quiet walk together, or to nap. It is important to rest your minds and refresh yourselves. This is an important work you are doing and it deserves clear thinking and easy hearts.
