3 years in the belly of a big fish
Back in the day, when I was in about 3rd grade, my neighbors across the street invited me to church. I didn’t know what to expect but I was interested. I didn’t know much about it, other than THEY went there every Sunday and THEY seemed to like it. As they would take me, I remember sitting in a pew one day and thinking I should try to read a book in the Bible. Although, I was very overwhelmed at the size of the Bible and how long each book was SO: I looked at the index and picked out one of the shortest passages I could read, JUST to be able to say I read a book in the bible. Lo and behold, the book I found myself reading was:
JONAH
I was always fascinated by this story, mostly because of how crazy it was to think of a man being swallowed by a whale (or giant fish). I remember even making a cardboard whale costume back then for one of the Hallowe…..I mean, “Harvest Parties” that the church hosted. Needless to say, my costume was top notch.
One thing about the Bible, and really God in general, is that you can read something a million times over and God will continue to reveal something new to you. Jonah, a book of only 4 chapters and barely 3 pages, has spoken something different to me nearly every time I’ve read it.
Recently, I preached a mini-lesson at my skatepark about Jonah. Only this time, in preparation, I began to see that my life at the moment is very similar to that of Jonah’s. Allow me to clarify
3 years vs. 3 days
It has been 3 years since I got laid off my job of being the Assistant Youth Director at my old church. That experience was something that had opened me up to being very insecure and heavily critical on myself, to be honest. I began to wonder how on earth I was gonna pick up the pieces and move on. I saw it initially as a time of tragedy, but in hindsight, I see what God was truly preparing.
For the past 3 years, I’ve been keeping busy working simply at my old college job at a local burrito chain, which feels slightly embarrassing to say since I have a bachelors degree in youth ministry and yet THAT is what I’m doing. BUT, it pays my bills and I’m grateful that I have a job that has always supported me and given me work, honestly, WHENEVER I needed it. And it is a wonderful job with super rad people, and I’m thankful for everyone I’ve worked with and the conversations we’ve had there.
Also in the past 3 years, I have been much more free and available to continue to do ministry with my skate ministry: The Underground Skatepark. Since being laid off, God has opened the doors for me to venture to Ghana, Dominican Republic, Seattle, New York City, music festivals, and local outreaches. So many things! None of which I would’ve had the chance to experience if I was still in my old job. And these experiences have shaped and trained me in such a way that is SO key to this next step God his leading me on.
BACK TO JONAH
God commanded Jonah to travel to the “Great City” of Ninevah, a city known for it’s corruption and cruelty. Yet, Jonah flees from this command and goes to Tarshish. The Lord causes a storm to come and overtake the ship he’s on, Jonah gets tossed into the water, giant fish eats Jonah…etc. you know the story (hopefully).
HERE’S THE FUN PART!
Jonah 2:17 – “BUT the Lord PROVIDED a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.”
The Lord PROVIDED the great fish………..get it???
I used to look at this story and think that God made a whale swallow Jonah because He was trying to punish Him. NOW I see it as God’s Fatherly love caring for His child even though He was being disobedient. Kind of like giving Jonah 3 days in “Time Out” to think about what he had done and get his act together.
During this period, Jonah does cry out to God, asking Him to save him from this whale, affirming that He WILL be obedient next time. So the whale spits him out.
Upon arriving on the shore, Jonah does go to Ninevah and preaches a super simple sermon to the people that could be summed up as “Repent or perish” pretty much. IMMEDIATELY, the people repent and begin to turn from what they are doing. EVERYONE! Even the King repented and ordered the people to turn from what they are doing so they would not have to face the wrath the God was going to bring upon them.
When God saw the people of Ninevah, wholeheartedly turning from their ways, verse 10 in chapter 3 says “He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened”.
Then Jonah gets mad because God’s love is sooooooo huge for Jonah to even begin to comprehend! And that’s another story for another time. But here’s where I’m getting at with all this:
1. I had been discouraged for the past 3 years that I don’t have the type of job I expected to have. Again, I love my job now and I’m very thankful for it; but myself and everyone who knows me, expects me to have a Youth Pastoring job. But now I see that God has PROVIDED ME with a great whale to swallow me up for the past 3 years. That whale has been my Skatepark. He has given me training, preparation, and a place to love on kids for the last 3 years, to get me to a place where I’m ready to put into practice everything I’ve been taught up til this point.
2. I had run away from trying to become who God wanted me to be. I was too afraid to apply for other jobs after being laid off. But God still provided ways to carry out His Gospel. I knew God was calling me to something greater, and now here I am about to go on the World Race! The whale has spit me up on the shores of missions and I’m ready to take it on!
3. The love of God is unfathomable. He saved an entire wicked city through sending one dude to them, to share with them that God desired something greater for them. They turned from their ways and God rescued them. God’s love is for ALL people, no exceptions. And I want to take up that mission to let the people I’ll be encountering that I serve a real God, who pursues each and every one of us, and who loves them and wants to welcome them into a new life free from all the worry, temptations, depression, stress, pride, and all other sin that so easily entangles us.
And I will rejoice because I know the Lord is good. I KNOW He works all things together for our good. No time is ever wasted. These past 3 years, God sent a great fish to swallow me up, not as a punishment, not as a threat, but to show me that He still seeks after me, and He is NEVER finished training me, speaking to me, and loving me. He will fill us up so that ultimately we may pour ourselves out on the world.
This Jonah is going to Ninevah…and He will be joyful and glad knowing God’s love will never end
