“How do you solve a problem like Maria?”
That’s the song my sister sang to me the very first time I came to the Abbey of Gethsemani. I’d called her from one of the hiking trails, checking in as I got ready to take my first steps into my new life. She thought it was hilarious that I was at an abbey— a real working monastery run by Trappist monks in Kentucky.
Like Maria, I had to figure out where I belonged… and where I didn’t.
I’ve been back twice now, and the silent retreat and beautiful grounds continue to refuel my soul like nothing else. Time feels suspended here, as if God Himself hands you a personalized invitation to step away and breathe on the mountaintop.
Father Carlos put it plainly during my very first orientation talk:
“This is not the time to fix relationships back home. This is the time to get alone with God and focus on your relationship with Him.”
I’ve found that to be true at every juncture of my faith walk since. When you’re stopped by a crux, focusing on your relationship with the Lord yields a far better outcome than trying to mend a broken fence yourself.
I’m settled into my little dorm-style room for the week—simple, warm, quiet. I’ll have one outing to Bardstown on Wednesday (you’re free to come and go as you please), but the rest of the week is book-writing, rest, and quiet time in the literal and spiritual garden with Jesus.
I was so thankful to the Abbey of Gethsemani for helping me right my mind when it spiraled a couple of years ago that I couldn’t imagine a better place to spend Thanksgiving this year.
faith unfaded 
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