Everyone is in a wilderness.
Maybe you’re entering one.
Maybe you’re deep in the middle of one.
Maybe you’re just finding your way out.
Whether it’s a season of grief, uncertainty in your career path, relational strain, health battles or spiritual dryness — the “wilderness” looks different for each of us. But what unites us is this: we all walk through it.
Desert Day 40 is a one-day, guided retreat designed to reframe your wilderness season, help you recognize its purpose, and give you a roadmap for navigating its challenges with grace and hope.
What is the wilderness? It’s the space where clarity disappears and certainty evaporates. It’s uncomfortable. Unfamiliar. Unsettling. The path is windy, the terrain feels harsh, and the end? It’s nowhere in sight. The wilderness is the place where you feel overwhelmed, helpless or hopeless; where you question your direction, your strength, maybe even your faith; where God feels silent or distant; where nothing comes easily — not clarity, not answers, not peace. And yet — it is often exactly where God does His deepest work. In this space of struggle, Desert Day 40 invites you to reimagine the wilderness not as a place of abandonment, but as a place of intimate preparation.
The wilderness isn’t punishment. It’s not abandonment.
It’s preparation. It’s formation. It’s the soil of spiritual growth.
Desert Day 40 invites you to see your wilderness through new eyes. Each aspect of this one-day retreat is prayerfully designed to help you:
Reframing the Wilderness: See your wilderness through a new lens — not as punishment, but preparation.
A Biblical Roadmap: Walk the ancient paths of Israel, Jesus, Elijah, and others who encountered God in the wilderness.
Redemption in the Rough: Discover how the barren places become sacred ground.
God With Us: Learn to see God's nearness and daily provision — the "manna" for your journey.
Reflection Tools: Engage in a 40-day challenge with journal prompts and spiritual exercises to take with you.
Pilgrimage Perspective: Begin to pivot your mindset — from wandering in the wilderness to walking in pilgrimage.
Whether your wilderness is fresh, long-standing, or just behind you, Desert Day 40 is a sacred space to pause, breathe, and remember this truth: You are not alone. God is near. And the wilderness will not last forever.
Desert Day 40 is not about escaping the wilderness. It’s about inviting God into it. It's about walking the shadowed path with the assurance that He is near, that growth happens in the valley, and that what feels like the end might just be the beginning.
Come. Be renewed. Be reoriented. Let the wilderness redeem you.
Join us for a peaceful and soul-refreshing Desert Day Retreat at the cozy Retreat House on the beautiful grounds of Country Lake Retreat Center in Underwood, Indiana. Our day together will begin with arrival between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 18, and conclude around 5:00 p.m. that evening.
The $125 registration fee includes a full day of rest and renewal—featuring biblical teaching, guided creative sessions, a thoughtfully designed workbook to continue your journey beyond the retreat, as well as breakfast, lunch, and nourishing snacks throughout the day.
Registration closes on Friday, July 11. We would be honored to share this sacred space with you.