Retreat 2008-12

But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.
"When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.
"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

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I went on a retreat recently and the passage of Jonah 2:2 was on the table of the room I had “In my distress, I called to the Lord and he answered me.” Since the story of Jonah was last preached at church, somewhat I felt a strong identification of Jonah in the big fish. So when I saw the verse in the room, I “assumed” it was for me for the retreat, as I do feel like Jonah trapped in a vacuum of time and space in the stomach of the fish. So I read the whole chapter and the verse in red seemed to catch on me.

O shit, the Lord is speaking about me. So I 'spent' more "spiritual exercise" efforts on this 'revelation'.
Sorely unsuccessful. Nothing happened. And when friends asked how my retreat was, my only comment was it was too short.

What did I do during the 3D2N?

- I walked aimlessly through the Labyrinth with the verse that "spoke" to me
- I watched the early mist rising over the woods on a dampened seat
- I took a stroll and heard the echoes of flutes bouncing off the walls of the quarry
- I took part in an morning service with Christ hanging from the air and the Priest asking "are you the wise or the foolish builder?"
- I stood beneath the bamboo trees to listen to the leaves rustling before the rain came in
- I walked the neighbourhood and encounterd nobody
- I watched the night enfolding the kiosk, while cars drifted in and out.

Then I awoke with a formless fear from a nap without dreams.
When I thought it has all ended, I remembered my first retreat when Christ said "Come and you will see."