WEEDS WRAPPED ABOUT MY HEAD

Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish's belly,

And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.

For thou hadst cast me into the deep, in the midst of the seas; and the floods compassed me about: all thy billows and thy waves passed over me.

Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.

The waters compassed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head.

I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O LORD my God.

When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple.

I wanted to share my favorite scripture passage. I come back to it again and again, year after year. I love the poetry and the symbolism of the Atonement in the story of Jonah. For a long time I had felt I was "cast out of His sight". I have come to know again, as I had known always, that our prayers do come unto Him. When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord. Why are we earthlings so lame and have to learn the same lesson again and again? He cares. What a realization!