By Christina Holder

Read author's note and Part 2.

As soon as Serious Ex-Boyfriend #2 and I broke up, I was ready to pack my suitcases and move away from Washington, D.C. I didn't want to face running into him in my city, church, or circle of friends. I desperately wanted to escape all of the awkwardness and embarrassment and pain. I wanted a new start, and I was quite happy to take the risk of leaving the breakup drama behind.

Instead, I went on a solo weekend getaway.

I don't think making a rush decision to move away is wise. I certainly felt like it, but I also recognized that God may have wanted me to stay right where I was. I did, however, pray about the idea of moving. Almost immediately after Serious Ex #2 broke up with me, I felt a tug to go to Africa.

My weekend getaway was a compromise, floating somewhere between crying my eyes out in my apartment and booking the next trans-Atlantic flight. During my getaway, I spent time praying and seeking God's direction. In the midst of all of my pain, I wanted to know what God had for me to do.

I love that God is called the Rock. I was inspired by all of the Bible's references to resting in God, hiding in His protection, and seeking out shelter in His "rock." And so I happened to find a small bed and breakfast that literally rested on a rock ledge in historic Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.

The symbolism of The Ledge House couldn't have been clearer to me that weekend. I spent the weekend resting and pouring out my heart to God. As I sought Him out through prayer and scripture reading, I discovered many verses that pointed to God as the "rock" and told of those who went on "getaways" to rocks and caves to draw close to God: Psalm 27:5, Psalm 18:1-3, Psalm 61:1-3, and Psalm 18:30-32.

During my time hiding out with God in "my rock," I learned about stillness and rest and God's desire to quiet my heart so that I could trust in Him and in His perfect plan. My hide-out time isolated me from the confusion and blurriness of The Big Breakup. It allowed me to get a clearer sense of what God might have for me because I spent time with Him.

Going on your own private getaway with God is something I encourage you to do, too. You don't have to spend a lot of money. You don't have to even leave your city. And you certainly don't have to go camp out in a cave (although that would be really cool).

What you need is a quiet place -- away from other people. Maybe you have a friend going out of town for the weekend, and she'll let you use her apartment as your retreat center. Maybe there is a monastery near your city. Hanging out with monks is free, and you'll be able to roam the rolling hills or stone hallways and indulge in quietness and reflection. Maybe you can check into a fairly nice hotel -- remember, the rates usually are negotiable -- for a night. If the wilderness is your style, then spend a day in the mountains or a national park. What is important is that you create a quiet space to rest and to listen.

I don't think God always directs or answers immediately. But during my weekend at The Ledge House, I learned that God honors the time we reserve especially for Him. He desires to help us learn to rest in Him in the midst of feeling overwhelmed. Our next steps will follow.

I spent my weekend nourishing my soul both spiritually and physically. I slept -- a lot. I prayed. I read my Bible. I ate yummy food by a fire. I went on long walks through Harper's Ferry, sitting in beautiful spaces and writing in my journal. I was quiet. I stayed away from TV and music and my cell phone. I hardly spoke to anyone around me. I talked a lot to God.

And, most importantly, I listened.

After emerging from my "rock," I felt a serenity and confidence in the midst of indescribable pain -- a peace that "surpasses all understanding" because that kind of peace comes from God.

God didn't wave His hand over the crystal ball of my life and reveal my future. But He instilled hope. He strengthened my trust. He renewed my confidence. I knew He was at work, and I was thrilled to wait for His plan to unfold.

Several months after my getaway with God, He finished what He started. It was my time to go.

I got on a plane, and I went to Liberia, a small West Africa nation left heartbroken following a 14-year civil war that killed 200,000 people. There, I spent a total of a year on a journey of hope and healing in a country where the terrain somewhat resembled the terrain of my broken heart.

I spent hours interviewing traumatized men and women who had endured the terrible face of war. I published their stories in newspapers and on the web, in an effort to inform those who don't know a lot about the plight of Liberians. I counseled and prayed for suffering people in a hospital. I formed close relationships with women who had been abused and neglected and felt rejected.

And as I embraced both the brokenness of Liberia and my own, God began to heal me. God gave me the most beautiful, exciting adventure of my life. He filled me to overflowing with gratitude for His goodness. He showed me that my life was much bigger than one man that I loved, one breakup, and one troubled season.

Read Part 4.

To discuss this article, visit our blog, Fresh Brew.

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Christina Holder is a freelance writer based in Liberia, West Africa, where she is recording post-war stories five years after Liberia's brutal 14-year civil war. She is a former reporter for the Naples (Fla.) Daily News and a former reporter/researcher for syndicated columnist Robert D. Novak in Washington, D.C. She writes for the blog Beautifully Broken, which encourages women with God's promise to take their brokenness and to make it beautiful. Read more of Christina's Ungrind articles here.

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Copyright © 2010 Christina Holder. All rights reserved. This article was published on Ungrind.org on February 9, 2010.