Jonah’s Prayer
(Excerpts from Jonah 2 with personal interpretation)
In my distress I called out to you and you answered me. I called for help and you listened to my cry. When I fought against your Word and did not take up my purpose you hurled me into the deep to fend for myself, to sink low, to experience terror. I have been banished, yet I look again to your holy temple. When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you and my Prayer rose up to you. For I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you and take up my purpose. And the Lord had mercy and saved me yet again.
How many times are we faced with situations where we know what we should do, but our heart is hurt, perhaps even hardened, and pride gets the better of us so we just don’t bother? When we embrace the world wholeheartedly by not doing the right things we sink into the depths of the depraved existence so easy to fall prey to. Those who cling to worthless idols, even attitudes and behaviors, forfeit grace that could’ve been theirs.
God called me out to write the book, His Way, God’s Encouraging Words for Caring Souls of Addicts, and to set up a website and blog. Many days I ask if I’ve completed my mission for His purpose because I’m tired, I must defend my beliefs, I have a thousand other things going on in my life…. The Divine One tells me I am to share His Truth, but it’s not my job to convince you of it. He will do it, but you must call out and step up when it’s time.
The Divine stands ready to give another chance to start again. When we call out to the Holy One we can then embrace the world through Holy Eyes which leads us on the path of good and right. We can’t do it by ourselves in many circumstances for we are too hurt, close to the situation, or need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to guide us in the right direction. If the Divine has called you to a specific purpose or mission and you decline He won’t abandon you, but you may suffer a little or a lot until you turn back towards His loving arms. He Waits For You. He is ready to rescue you. He will lift you up from the pit of despair, self destruction, trauma, mental anguish, addiction, or whatever is holding you back.
Embrace your purpose in life. It may be ministering in a foreign land, but helping homeless veterans and simply just raising a child with love and compassion, all of which takes work, are just as important. Your heart will soften and you will be graced with abundant courage, strength, knowledge, endurance, and patience to complete the mission. Give up fighting it and enjoy your place on this earth. God is the God of 2nd chances many times over. At the point in time of this Prayer, Jonah’s mistakes, anger at God, and refusal to complete his mission with compassion were far from over. Yet, every time he realized he was wrong, he called out God, again, and Holy was there waiting and ready with an answer. Write your own prayer, call out to the Holy One, and start over, anew or again, today. Everyone is just one relapse, outburst, mistake away from not getting it right. But, we must try, every day, to accept the Divine’s “one more chance”.