Oh Jonah

What is this picture you ask? Well, lend me your ear...

This Sunday, my wonderful husband started preaching a new series on Jonah. This weeks was called, "Jonah on the Run." Jonah is not a book I frequent much, and is not something I've studied much. This week we talked about the first chapter where God calls Jonah to Ninevah, but he basically picks up and runs as fast as he can in the other direction. Brian talked a lot about hearing from God and how we respond. This part really resonated with me. The act of hearing God is a tough one- we always ask, "Did I hear that right," or maybe you heard him, but don't want to do it, or maybe we think our plan is just way better. All of these responses I can fully say I'm guilty of.

It's interesting that we just started this series, because last week I was really struggling with all of the changes that have happened in our life. I was feeling homesick, overwhelmed, lonely, and even questioning God's purpose in bringing us here. Let me just say that I am fully confident that we are in the center of God's will in being here, and it's really been a great transition. We have a lot to be thankful for. But that doesn't mean that it's always easy. But listening to the way that Jonah ran from God, I really thought about the way that I've responded to Him.

Brian's sermon had a lot of parallels to running a race. At the end, he showed a video clip from the Olympics on Barcelona, I think maybe in 1992, but can't be sure, where a runner was running the 400 M race and very quickly into it, he pulled a muscle. Years of training and preparation for his dreams to be so quickly crushed. The amazing thing was that after the runner was down for a few seconds- he kept on going. He hobbled his way along that track and midway through, his dad ran out put his arm around him and finished the race with him. Was I crying- yes! It was incredibly touching of how a father comes alongside of his son and carries him. Not only is God doing that with me, but he's already ran ahead of me. Wow- what a great feeling.

I learned that God is more interested in my character and who I'm becoming than my comfort. And, that God will take you where HE wants me to go, but he's saying, "I'm here Shannon, let's finish the race together." So at the end of our service, we all picked up our marathon numbers- 512- yep that's mine, that I can tack onto my shirt and keep running. What a comfort to see through Jonah's story that there is no where we can go to run from God. And more importantly that he wants to run with us.

I'm so excited to continue in the next couple of weeks learning about Jonah. In a week or 2 our new website will be up and if you want you'll be able to listen to Brian's sermons. I hope this is encouraging to you as well wherever you are in the race- that we need to keep running WITH Him who wants to hold us up.