From Live and Lead, my monthly newsletter to my readers
Dear friends,
Every year, on my silent retreat, I begin a new playlist. I include it in songs that I was praying with on the way to my retreat, songs that came up during spiritual direction on my retreat, and songs I heard during Masses that touched my heart. I add to this playlist all year long as new songs come my way that I feel God is using to speak to me in different ways.
This year’s play list starts with a song called “Find Rest” by Caroline Cobb. One of our interns in our spiritual direction internship program recommended it to me as the singer/songwriter is a friend of his. It is based on Matthew 11: 28-30.
The graces of rest and renewal were the graces I prayed for as I began my retreat. God provided both in abundant ways. God also surprised me in what I was invited to pray about on my retreat. I spent almost my entire retreat praying with the “Contemplation to Learn to Love Like God” that comes in the fourth week of the Spiritual Exercises. God’s grace of renewal came as we reviewed the last years of my life together through the lens of this contemplation by:
- Thanking God for the gifts of these last years
- Remembering all the ways God dwells in me and in others
- Relishing God’s labor for me and my family these past years
- Savoring God as the source of all goodness
Praying with this contemplation reminded me of how much God had done in me, through me, with me, and for me. As memory after memory came throughout the week, I offered the memory back to God with the “Take, Lord” prayer.
These days of retreat led me to know in an interior knowledge kind of way how much God loves me and I love God. The remembering led to deep rest and renewal, along with clarity of how in this coming season, I am being called to love like God.
The Call to Pause and Remember
I don’t know about you, but life can be full as a leader. The pace of things, the needs of others, the problems to solve, and the long task lists can keep me focused on the present moment the next item on my task list, the next person in front of me. While these are important and necessary aspects of leading in ministry, I feel at times that I miss the long view.
Every time I have willingly let God call my attention not only to the present and the next steps in front of me, but also allow God to help me understand where I and the organization has come from, grace upon grace abounds. I see better. God gives understanding and insight. The Holy Spirit helps connect the dots. Jesus helps me see where his invitation for the immediate future is. Not just for me, but for the ministry as well.
My Invitation to You: Pause and Remember
I know many of you on my email list hold some role in ministry leadership, whether formal or informal. You also lead in many other ways: in your families, in your parishes, and in your communities. I encourage you to take a moment to pause and remember.
Let God bring the timeline that God wants you to see to mind. With the Holy Spirit’s help, look backwards and:
- Thank God for the gifts
- Remember the ways God dwelled in you and in others
- Relish God’s labor for you
- Savor God as the source of all.
As the memories of the timeline you are reviewing comes to mind, offer each memory back to God. For ease, I am including a downloadable attachment of Fr. Kevin O’Brien, SJ’s “Contemplation to Learn to Love like God” as it is the one I prayed with on my 8-day retreat.
Know I will be praying for you to find rest and to be renewed for the ministry year ahead! May your remembering fill you with hope and the graces you need!
Peace,
Becky
P.S. Please pray for our retreatants who are coming in from across the country today to New Orleans for our Ignatian Ministries’ Preached Retreat July 9-12th! Pray they may be open to receive all God seeks to pour into them.
Becky Eldredge
July 16, 2026