Time Out

I just got home from a retreat at the Assumption in Antipolo. The compound is at the top of a rise in the mountain. The retreat house is surrounded by trees and you can hear birds by day and crickets at night. The best part was that there were no other retreatants except our group.

It's not the first time we stayed there. The LOJ Counselors group goes there almost every year or at least once every two years I think. Usually, there was also a group of students having some kind of formation. This year, we had the retreat house to ourselves and it was relatively quiet. Well, quiet except for the incessant chatter we ourselves were making. We were saying a clausura or silet retreat is impossile with this group.

It's nice to take time out now and then. It gives you time to look back and look forward. You could use the opportunity to check where you are in your relationship with God as well as with others. YOu could also assess your plans and check if you are growing as a person or a child of God.

In our case, our group listen to other people's problems through the phone, email or chat sessions. It could become tiring if you do this too often. There could be a tendency to say "Oh no, not that again" if you don't take a breather. Cyicism and apathy are job hazards.

I think this is also what happens to medical practitioners. They sometimes get to that point where a medical procedure ecomes mechanical. They may forget that they are treating a person not just a body.

Law enforcers and rescue personnel are also suject to this experience. We've seen or heard of jaded police officers who frustrate a desperate crime victim because he acts as if there was nothing out of the ordinary happening.

We all have to take time out sometimes to rejuvenate and maybe renew our zeal for our jobs.

The LOJ Counselig Center may be reached through (63 2) 7259999 the dial 1 for counseling. Or you can email to lojcounseling@yahoo.com