We spoke to Sarah as she came to the end of a four-month sabbatical at Waverley Abbey. She shares powerfully about the gift of time to rest in God, feel the Spirit move and find fellowship with others.
‘I felt like God was inviting me to lay everything down, to surrender everything to Him for a season,’ says Sarah, speaking to us as she neared the end of a four-month sabbatical at Waverley Abbey. ‘To strip everything back, trusting that He would show me which parts of my life would be added back and which areas would see something new.’
A season to rest
Sarah worked as a sub-editor on a food magazine for ten years, then spent two years as Head of Operations for her church in London, before she sensed God calling her to take a sabbatical. She says she chose Waverley Abbey for its peace and serenity, but also the community.
‘I felt like this was a defined season that I was entering; and that it was to be marked by deep rest, reflection, and a withdrawal from the life that I knew. But I didn’t want to isolate myself – so I was looking for something that also offered a sense of community', says Sarah.
‘I'd visited Waverley Abbey for a quiet day previously and was struck by how peaceful it was, being surrounded by nature. But what really drew me was that prayer is at the heart of everything that is happening here, just as it was 1,000 years ago. You can almost sense the layer upon layer of prayers that have been prayed in this place over the years.’
‘I'd heard about a community living on-site and was intrigued by their decision to commit their entire lives to the pursuit of God. Being at Waverley Abbey seemed the best way that I could spend these four months – enjoying both rest and retreat while also having the structure and support of living with other Christians, benefiting from a place where the focus and vision is Jesus.’
‘Re-storied’ by the Spirit
‘He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake’ (Psalm 23: 2-3).
‘It has been everything I'd hoped for,’ says Sarah, reflecting on her four months on sabbatical.
‘It has allowed me to enter deep rest. That’s partly due to the freedom that comes from not working for a season. But it’s also been restorative – which is often a harder thing to pin down. That has come from reminding myself of who I am in God, adopting daily prayer rhythms and being around people who I get on well with - who care for me, and feel like fellow pilgrims on this journey towards God.’
‘I feel “re-storied.” What I mean by that is that all the voices that crowd in on us about how we should live life, what success is, worrying about what others think (all of which contributed to my busyness, overwhelm and overcommitment) have quietened. Instead, I feel like I've been able to hear the quiet whisper of the Spirit – the whisper that has been within me all along, but that I've just been too busy or preoccupied to hear. To reconnect with that has been the biggest blessing.’
A deeper sense of self
‘I came here hoping to receive a grand revelation of what I should be doing with my life next – and I haven't received that!,’ says Sarah. ‘But I do have a deeper sense of who I am becoming, who I want to become, and the habits and practices I need to prioritise to keep me moving in the right direction.’
‘I’m starting to trust that, if I get that bit right, the “what should I be doing?” question starts to answer itself.’
The gift of fellowship
‘A highlight for me has been the lunchtime prayer and worship, which I’ve led once or twice a week, alongside the rest of the House of Prayer,’ says Sarah.
‘Practically, it has been helpful for me to have that time every day when I know it's happening. But actually, the joy has been seeing all the different people come through the house. You never know who's going to be there on any given day – there might be students, staff, friends of Waverley Abbey and 24-7 Prayer, or visitors who are just on-site for the day.’
‘It’s been wonderful to see how God meets each one of us in that moment, and in different ways on different days. It has really been an example of fellowship. And to know that I can find fellowship with relative strangers, who I've just met for the first time, but who all have their gaze pointed towards Jesus – is such a gift.’
Family bonds and kindness to takeaway
Next, Sarah is going travelling for three months for what she describes as ‘part holiday, part pilgrimage, part creative discernment about what may come next!’
‘The biggest thing I’ll take with me from my time at Waverley Abbey is the kindness and welcoming nature of everyone I’ve met,’ says Sarah.
‘You know, you can have a beautiful National Trust property, with similar-looking grounds, and – despite the beauty of your surroundings – still feel completely isolated and alone. But Waverley Abbey is unique – to be blessed with such a setting, but also to have such an incredible team of people working here… a wonderful community living on-site, and open-hearted students, all of whom have welcomed me with open arms. Despite me only being here for four months, I have felt like part of the Waverley Abbey family and I’m already planning my return visit!’
More about retreats at Waverley Abbey
- We are passionate about facilitating encounters with Jesus at Waverley Abbey; and we view hospitality as part of our worship and service to God.
- We have a small community of around five people at a time living onsite, each member playing an active role in our 24-7 House of Prayer and volunteering 20 hours a week towards the mission of Waverley Abbey.
- We have a growing community of individuals from local churches, and around the world, who don’t live onsite but are actively involved.
- Sabbaticals have always been popular in some sectors, but are now officially in fashion according to Harper’s Bazaar. In the UK, 4.9 million* people have taken a sabbatical.
If you’re inspired or intrigued by Sarah’s story and would like to find out more about retreats at Waverley Abbey, please visit our Retreats page.
PRAY WITH US
Dear God,
We pray for wisdom and understanding for Sarah about which parts of her former life You want to keep in place, and where You want her to press into something new.
We pray for all those living in community at Waverley Abbey, that they will be blessed and will be a blessing to others.
Amen
*Research by Money Supermarket