Spinning Fish
As you may all be a well aware, today is the last day of the term. Well, the last day that students will be in class before starting the new term next week. I guess it doesn't really end until tomorrow. That being said, you all know where my head it. I am having a hard time focusing on anything else. Some say I am obsessive, some say I am controling, other say I just care. I don't know what it is. I just want to see my children be the best they can be. I want them to see themselves as their best as well.
So, what has been on my mind, Jonah. You all remember the story. Or many of you remember or know the animated version done by Veggie Tales. The idea is the same. I don't know why I have been thinking about it, but I have. Does it relate to what is happening in life? I don't know, maybe.
Jonah was doing what he felt was his best in the world. The people respected him, maybe even liked him. He was considered to be a prophet, so maybe he was even popular. When I think about him, I think of a person who has found his niche in life. He is happy. He had a vision of what he could do, what wanted to do, and how he was going to do it. He was in a comfortable state of life. He was among friends and family. Now remember that at this time, the house of Israel was convinced that they were the "Choosen Ones". It was their way or no way. It was them and no one else.
OK we have the picture, now the Lord asks Jonah to stretch a little, do something that he would never have imagined himself doing. He was asked to leave his comfort zone and seek out a people that were considered to be heathens. Jonah did not see himself capable of doing such a task. Jonah did not want to do the task. He did not feel that it was possible for these heathen gentiles to change. Before Jonah even started, he had quit.
As Jonah stewed over this, he decided that if he just ignored it and went about different activites it would all go away. It did not work. The Lord continued to hand him the task. Therefore, Jonah decided to just get away from what the area that reminded him of all he was supposed to do and escape to a different place, then it would all go away. This did not work either.
After going through what I would view as a humbling experience, almost being killed at sea, swallowed by a big fish, and then being spewed on the banks of the land he had been sent to teach, it was like he was suddenly determined to prove the Lord wrong. He did what he was asked to do, people started repenting, even heathens, and the Lord forgave them. But Jonah did not want to accept it. He waited for the Lord to change and see things the way he was seeing them.
I don't know that it makes any sense. I learn from Jonah that we need to be willing to do our best at any task we are given, whether we like or not, whether we think we can or not, we just need to move forward in faith and do all we can. We cannot do this with a grudge, anger, or lack of faith. When it does not work out the way we want it to, we do not blame the area, the people, the fish, the sea, the tree, or what ever else we can think of. We accept it, learn from it, and move on.
Can we improve? Think about it.
So, what has been on my mind, Jonah. You all remember the story. Or many of you remember or know the animated version done by Veggie Tales. The idea is the same. I don't know why I have been thinking about it, but I have. Does it relate to what is happening in life? I don't know, maybe.
Jonah was doing what he felt was his best in the world. The people respected him, maybe even liked him. He was considered to be a prophet, so maybe he was even popular. When I think about him, I think of a person who has found his niche in life. He is happy. He had a vision of what he could do, what wanted to do, and how he was going to do it. He was in a comfortable state of life. He was among friends and family. Now remember that at this time, the house of Israel was convinced that they were the "Choosen Ones". It was their way or no way. It was them and no one else.
OK we have the picture, now the Lord asks Jonah to stretch a little, do something that he would never have imagined himself doing. He was asked to leave his comfort zone and seek out a people that were considered to be heathens. Jonah did not see himself capable of doing such a task. Jonah did not want to do the task. He did not feel that it was possible for these heathen gentiles to change. Before Jonah even started, he had quit.
As Jonah stewed over this, he decided that if he just ignored it and went about different activites it would all go away. It did not work. The Lord continued to hand him the task. Therefore, Jonah decided to just get away from what the area that reminded him of all he was supposed to do and escape to a different place, then it would all go away. This did not work either.
After going through what I would view as a humbling experience, almost being killed at sea, swallowed by a big fish, and then being spewed on the banks of the land he had been sent to teach, it was like he was suddenly determined to prove the Lord wrong. He did what he was asked to do, people started repenting, even heathens, and the Lord forgave them. But Jonah did not want to accept it. He waited for the Lord to change and see things the way he was seeing them.
I don't know that it makes any sense. I learn from Jonah that we need to be willing to do our best at any task we are given, whether we like or not, whether we think we can or not, we just need to move forward in faith and do all we can. We cannot do this with a grudge, anger, or lack of faith. When it does not work out the way we want it to, we do not blame the area, the people, the fish, the sea, the tree, or what ever else we can think of. We accept it, learn from it, and move on.
Can we improve? Think about it.
Comments