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Tuesday, February 17, 2015
What, in life, is your fish?
1:34 AM | Posted by
TeamUfa
This week I started reading in Jonah and God used it to make some connections in my life that I was unsure of before. It's funny how that works. Being in a different country makes such a big difference in the way I hear from God. Here, I only can worry about the necessities. Based on my weekly allowance and the small amount of Russian I have learned, I can only build so much off of that foundation. And I think that has been so crucial in how the Lord is reaching me. I've been stripped bare essentially, and all I can do is survive. That's the mindset I have when buying groceries, taking a bus, getting ready in the morning, etc. So now, my options are fewer and my reliance upon God is greater. Although my circumstances are ever changing, my God is not. That has been the common thread throughout my journey as a believer and also my journey to Russia and in Russia.
I encourage you to read Jonah, particularly chapter 1, so that you will have some background to what I'm going to write about for the remainder of this post.
I will start my observations of chapter 1 out by saying I think it is funny how Jonah tried running away from God when he was called to go to Nineveh. How relatable is that? Time after time, it feels as though we all try to get away from a certain calling God has given us through the Holy Spirit. But how encouraging is it to know that God got Jonah exactly where He wanted him to be despite his disobedience? And even in the midst of Jonah's failures, the people on the boat that Jonah used to flee to Tarshish came to fear the Lord (v. 16). So God can definitely take personal failure and use it for the "praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1:7).
It's crazy to think that God uses every circumstance for His glory. And it surprises us when we look in hindsight but it never surprises God. I see this in my life and how, for years, I have prayed about going to serve in Brazil and then it all changed and God's plan began. Although Brazil was necessary for me to put my "yes" on the table to God, it was not my final destination. And Jonah experienced the same thing. Him refusing to go to Nineveh was necessary for him to come to a point where his "yes" was on the table to God. Except he needed to be swallowed by a fish for a few days. Then, he realized that he needed to follow the Lord to Nineveh.
Sometimes we get swallowed by a fish, too. A metaphorical fish, that is. Something that is designed for us to realize our despair and cry out to God in our distress much like Jonah did while in the belly of the fish. My fish was probably moving out of my house in November. In the middle of my distress, I cried out to God and was dependent on His answer. And through that specific trial, my faith was refined (1 Peter 1:6) and I was being prepared to live alone here in Russia. And along the way, there were opportunities and times for me to make great the name of the Lord, just as God did to the men on the boat in Jonah 1.
Many of the pieces of my life are starting to fit together now. I can see a small blip of God's intentions for the many things I've experienced and had to go through in these last few months. And it is encouraging to know that even in the darkness, God was faithful to lead me to a place where I can see the light, if only for a moment. Life here in Ufa is so different than I would have expected or imagined. And at times, I have been like Jonah: running away from God's plan. But I'm thankful that even in my disobedience Jesus has showed me mercy and given me clarity to sustain me day by day, moment by moment.
What, in your life, is your fish? Are you currently being swallowed by anything in order to show you your desperation for God? And if so, how are you dealing with that? I'd love to hear your answers.
Toni K.
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