By Maggie Little
If we thought we had control over our lives, the pandemic of 2020 has taught us to think again. The question is no longer, “Am I in control or not?” Rather it is, “How do I respond in a situation beyond my control?” Reinhold Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer offers an oft-quoted solution:
“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.”
Mallory Fields, owner of the new business, Serenity Retreats, had already been deeply impacted by this prayer long before the pandemic. Finding herself immersed in a painful family situation, Mallory courageously sought the means to come to terms with her circumstances. Rather than lashing out in anger, she chose to fall back on her faith. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, she sought help from counselors at an intensive Christian retreat in Colorado. It was there that she encountered The Serenity Prayer.
The Serenity Prayer along with her own, “Lord, can there be a beautiful purpose for my pain?”, inspired her to launch this new endeavor. Her focus? She wants to extend help to other women struggling with the grief, betrayal, or tasked with caring for a sick child, spouse or parent. “So much of grief is private in nature, I wanted to create a retreat, more dynamic than the one I attended in Colorado, where women can come alongside others in their pain to participate in a whole-body approach to healing,” Mallory said. “I had a dream for women to come together for a healing experience that would engage the mind, body, and soul.”
The three-day, all-inclusive Serenity Retreats are based on four basic pillars. First, the retreat is set in a beautiful beach home in Grayton Beach, Florida. The beach landscape, along with an intimate setting with other women and a personal in-home chef on hand to prepare fresh, healthy, and delicious meals are just part of the Serenity retreat package. “I want these women to feel pampered and cared for. I want to show them that God cares for them in their suffering, that he loves to give great gifts, and that his steadfast love never ceases,” Mallory explains.
Second, the retreat features fifteen hours of group intensives led by qualified and skilled counselors. Mallory believes there can be significant healing in a group setting. “One can see that their own struggles are often shared by others. This shared experience can lead to understanding, hope, and change. Immersing themselves in group therapy intensives will give attendees needed tools that they can take home and implement in their daily lives,” says Mallory.
Third, several wellness activities such as biking along scenic 30A, paddle boarding on the area’s emerald waters, and hiking in beautiful Grayton Beach State Park will be encouraged as a means to reduce stress. Mallory’s hope is that when women find fun and relaxation through these retreat activities, they will feel inspired to implement daily movement when they return to their homes.
Last, but not least, the retreats are centered on a biblical curriculum. Mallory believes if retreat attendees want their lives to change, they must engage with Scripture. She says in this biblical approach to healing, women are taught to cry out to God in their pain and trust that he will hear them.
Mallory emphasizes that attending a Serenity Retreat will require attendees to accept that they need help. “It will take courage to move forward with healing,” Mallory explains, but she attests that those who attend will receive help in the process. To book a retreat for yourself or someone else please visit www.serenity-retreats.com.
For those who wish to receive individual one-on-one counseling with a licensed therapist, an individual retreat option is also available. Both group and individual retreats will begin in October-November of 2021.
