Find a better place to stand

If you don’t have a good grip on where you’re standing, anything can knock you down. And sometimes that means you need to take a step back.

May 07, 2025

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. (Mark 1:35)

I hated church camp.

Anyone else in that boat? I was not a fan at all. Granted, it might have been the particular church camp we went to. It was one of those uber-Christian ones that guilt-tripped you into burning your Michael W. Smith albums (ah, the 90s).

The worst part about this specific camp was the rule that kids couldn’t have medications. Sure, you could bring them, but they had to stay with the camp nurse. And the nurse decided if you got to take them. So when the whole camp had to play Capture the Flag on the side of a mountain, I asked them for my inhaler. They said no. (I guess they thought asthma was a spiritual problem.)

Needless to say, I got light-headed and tumbled down the side of the mountain and cracked my knee on a rock. I sort of remember it. I do remember they still wouldn’t let me have my inhaler. But before I digress on my personal soapbox of legalism in the church, let’s refocus. (Yes, I’m talking to myself.)

Capture the Flag is a great game. I’m sure it’s a lot of fun if your lungs work the way they’re supposed to. It requires a lot of strategy and a lot of quick decisions in order to get your team to the other side’s flag and back to your home base. And one thing I did learn from my oxygen-deprived adventure falling off a mountain was the importance of the right footing.

If you don’t have a good grip on where you’re standing, anything can knock you down. And sometimes that means you need to take a step back.

Even if you ran out front and it looks like you’re going to get to the goal before anyone else, if you don’t have a good grip on the dirt you’re running on, you’re going to slip and fall and potentially cost your team the win. It’s worth backing up a little bit or slowing down a little to make sure your footing is solid.

Sometimes you need to find a better place to stand.

Honestly? I think that’s what all retreats should be. It’s not running away from a conflict. It’s taking a step back to reassess your position. Have you got the high ground? (Where my Obi-wan Kenobi people?) Are you stuck in mud or slippery grass? Are you standing on an incline where your balance isn’t great?

This is metaphorical, obviously, but you get what I’m saying. In every situation in life, you need to make sure you’re standing firm before you try to make forward progress. Whether you’re trying to develop healthy habits or trying to have a conversation with someone, know where you stand. Know what you believe. Get solid.

And the best way to do that is to get quiet. Step back from the chaos of your life and talk to God. Tell Him what’s going on. Tell Him what you need. Ask Him for help. Remember, by this point you’ve already Returned to Him and taken Refuge in Him. Now you need to Retreat and talk to Him.

Set your feet on the Rock. Then, nothing will knock you down.