Asleep

"Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." (Jonah 1:17 TNIV)

 If I am honest, I must admit that I don't always do what God calls me to do. To be fair, I am not always certain what God is calling me to do, but even when I am quite certain I don't always do it. Case and point. I am awful at visiting people at the hospital. It is not that I am better than that or that I don't have the time. It is that the entire experience is so difficult for me. By His design, I am an introvert. I utterly despise crowds and am terribly at odds with myself in the presence of many. While I am ok in modified isolation (thus the continued posting of blogs, facebook updates, and Spotify) it is fair to say that I am extremely uncomfortable in places where I don't really know what to do. Hospitals are so uncomfortable. The settings are not typically conducive for laughter- something I am always compelled to do-, the reason for those in the hospital is varied and I am never quite sure what to ask, and let's not forget hospital gowns. It's just awkward. I know some who are great at visiting and others who have honed the skill I am still learning.


All that to say, I know that God calls me to hospitals. While the above mentioned reasons are true, the root of my hesitancy is much deeper. If I am to be honest, I am worried that my visit will do no significant good. If I am to be fair, I simply struggle with whether or not seeing my face in that-or in any other envirionment- will be a blessing to others. In many ways, I just struggle with whether or not I am really the person for that. This is the same reason I don't always do what I am called to do.


The story of Jonah has always been a curious one. For many the story is seen as a literal account of a man sent by God to a specific community with a specific purpose. Others see it simply as a metaphor for Israel and her disobedience in proclaiming Yahweh as God. Still some, see it as a greater metaphor for what could happen when people follow after God and do as He commands. As I read through it today, I was taken in by the imagery of what happens when a person is unwilling to fear God and do as He says. Namely, the impact it will have on those around him. The men in the boat, were going to drown as a result of Jonah's disobedience. Initially, there wasn't any reason to be afraid. However, in time that all changed. The storms began to rage and the ship's crew had no idea what was going on. Afraid the ship would capsize, they began throwing off the weight of food, suitcases, and books, etc. But to no avail. What does Jonah do? He goes downstairs to sleep. Finally, the crew come to Jonah and ask: Who have you ticked off? Yahweh. Off you go into the raging tempest. Storm stops, crew worships. Fish swallows Jonah.

So what's the point?

Jonah was called to go to Ninevah and he didn't. Enter Perfect Storm. Jonah's disobedience was nearly the death of an entire crew. I shutter to think how many times the storms in people's lives around me could have been started by my disobedience. How many times have I resisted the calling of God in my life out of fear for what others might think or do, instead of the fear of God? How many times have I resisted God's calling so that I could allow someone else the blessing of helping? How many times when the storm was raging, did I lay down and sleep?

The hinge for this part of the story is found after the men throw Jonah into the sea. "Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard,and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him." (Jonah 1:15-16 TNIV) When they were obedient, God calmed their sea. Maybe that 's the point of hospital visits- to calm a storm. Maybe that's the point of any work we do for the LORD - to calm the sea of people's lives. Or at least to offer an opportunity for it to be calm.

 Soli Deo Gloria