♫ Lord I come to You
Let my heart be changed renewed
Flowing from the grace that I found
In You
Lord I've come to know
The weakness I see in me
Will be stripped away
By the power of Your love
Hold me close
Let Your love surround me
Bring me near
Draw me to Your side
And as I wait
I'll rise up like the eagle
And I will soar with You
Your Spirit leads me on
By the power of Your love
Lord unveil my eyes
Let me see You face to face
The knowledge of Your love as You live
In me
Lord renew my mind
As Your will unfolds my life
In living every day
By the power of Your love
Hold me close
Let Your love surround me
Bring me near
Draw me to Your side ♫
Today is my seventh day in Campion, and I'm going back to the city after lunch. Mixed feelings. It was so hard to even get up this morning.
I will miss this... miss the chapel, the view from the dining room, the food, the comfy duvet and pillow, the garden, the poems from Marlene... I will miss Campion, I will miss this birthday retreat.
I'm going to set an annual retreat for me starting from this year, it shouldn't be on every birthday but at least I will have a religious retreat once a year.
~*~*~
I went down to Marlene's office, and gave her my thank you letter. We talked a bit and she wished me the very best. I was still in the mixed feelings. I had my lunch quietly and sat in the chapel after that. I brought my rosary with me and said the seventh day rosary. It was about the mystery of the Eucharist (Jesus feeds five thousands, Jesus the living Bread, Jesus the Bread of life, the Lord's supper, and the body and blood of Christ).
~*~*~
I glided myself along the path in Hodgson St., still in Kew, waiting for the taxi to bring me back to the city. I felt cold breeze all over my face... it was too cold. I decided to keep walking. Carving my footprints along the way. I looked back and saw nothing in the pathway. I felt empty.
In five days I'll be leaving this southern hemisphere and heading back to the tropical cities where my heart resides. Singapore. Jakarta. Will Melbourne come afterward? I don't know... But I do want to... so much. I looked up to the big blue sky of Kew, sighing and wishing for a supernatural sign when I heard the horn from somewhere. I noticed the yellow vehicle coming. My taxi.
I left Campion feeling sad, -or was it just my anxiety of getting back to real life? I didn't know.
I smiled to the driver and gave him the address where I headed to. It was started to rain when the van left the gate. The atmosphere was just perfect for a drama. A car left. Luggages loaded. Raining. Sad moments. Melancholy instrumental score. A long sigh...
I got off in front of the apartment I rented for the next five days. I took a lift to the fifth floor, brought two big suitcases in my hands, swiped the key, pushed the luggages in, closed the door and laid myself in bed - with my sneakers on.
What will my life be after this? Will I be ready to leave my work and everything that I've done so far? Will I be confident enough to leave Singapore and move south?
I got up after napping for an hour and went down to the next door of the building. An Indonesian Restaurant. I ordered grilled squid with rice and sat by the window. I took one of the Indonesian newspaper provided, and suddenly missing Jakarta so much. But I'm still not ready to come back for good - not yet. Time will tell.
I was about to flip another page when my order came. Piping hot grilled baby squids with fragrant steamed rice. Looked tempting.
There's nothing better than a delicious hometown cooking in this cold winter Melbourne...
~~~***~~~
Review of the day:
Thanksgiving Prayer:
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
For the wonderful seven days in Campion,
For the unforgettable birthday celebration,
For the quiet chapel for me to pray,
For the freshly after-the-rain smell in the garden,
For the nice people in here who understand,
For the comfort room and bed – ever,
For the delicious food spread,
For the superb view from the dining room,
For the good books I found,
For the inspired songs I heard,
For everything You have given me; today, these seven days, last month, last year, last 10 years, when I was born, a teenager, a young adult, in forever and later…
I bow my head and say...
Thank You, God
Readings of the day:
o Proverbs 3:5-6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the Lord in everything you do, and He will show you the right way.
o Luke 1:26-38. The birth of Jesus is announced.
o Luke 1:38. Mary’s “yes” to God: “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.”
Sources:
o Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals, Today’s English Version. Philippine Bible Society, Manila, 1992.
o Lelen, J. M., Rev., Ph.D. Pray The Rosary. Catholic Book Publishing Corp, New Jersey, 2002.
o London, Larry. Doa Rosario Tujuh Hari, Berdasarkan Kitab Suci (Edisi Bahasa Indonesia). Penerbit OBOR, Jakarta, 2003.
