Friday, August 15, 2014

Call Me Jonah

I have a confession.  I have been in the belly of a whale for the last three years.  I was told to go to Nineveh, and I went running the other way all the way to Tarsus.  I did not want to go to Nineveh.  I wanted to follow my own path and do my own thing.

Well, actually,  I don't know where Nineveh is or Tarsus either.   And there are no whales in this part of Missouri.

You see, this is not the first time that God told me to start a blog.  He told me that three years ago.      I set up an account, and I froze.  I never wrote anything.

Sort of.

I began a journal where I wrote down times I could remember God working in my life.  I made a list of all the things that I wanted to write about.  The list was pretty long.  I thought I would start posting them once I had them all on paper, once I was caught up.  (That sounds so ridiculous to me now; how could I ever be caught up on God working in my life?  Wouldn't that mean He was no longer at work?) I wrote in my journal pretty faithfully for a while, and then it became sporadically, and eventually, it was not at all.  I, more or less, forgot about it.

It wasn't until I was trying to came up with a name for my blog the other day that I remembered.  I was desperately trying to come up with something catchy, some clever use of words, names, and truth.  I was not coming up anything.  All of a sudden, I realized that I already had my title.  God gave it to me when He first asked me to do this.  I dug out my journal, and there was the title neatly written on the first page: When God Calls My Name.

God called my name three years ago.  Three. Years. Ago.  Almost to the day exactly.  Since I realized that, it keeps ringing in my head.  Three years.  It has taken me three years to be faithful and obedient to what I have been called to do.  Can I just tell you the heartbreak and sadness that I am feeling that it has been that long? It only took Jonah three days in the belly of the whale to figure out that there was no escaping God's call, but it has taken me three years.  Ouch!

Since posting my first entry earlier this week,  I have felt enormously blessed.  There have been a number of people who not only read it but encouraged me to keep going.  A friend shared with me her plans to answer God's call.  The words I wrote touched hearts.  There is joy in that.  More than that, though, is the joy and deep satisfaction I am feeling at doing what God asked me to do.  It took me a while to get started, but it feels good.  I am excited now, and I want that feeling to continue.

Today, I am leaving for Nineveh.  I'll see you there.


6 comments:

  1. Oh, Erin! You continue to inspire me -- I started another song this morning. Just words so far, but I can't wait until it's done so I can share it with you!! I probably won't get anything else done today. I think I'm headed to Nineveh, too, and I am so glad to be along on this journey!!

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    1. Any journey worth taking is better with a dear friend beside you!

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  2. I just get so stinkin' comfortable in that belly I stop seeing it for what it is: a place of disobedience and no peace. Thanks for the reminder.

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    1. One step at a time, right? That is the walk He calls us to take.

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  3. Erin, in all of the time that I have known you I don't think that I have ever told you that you remind me of my grandfather. If you had ever met him, you would know that that is the highest compliment that I can give. He was definitely a man of God and even though it has been about a year and a half since he passed, I still find him to be a source of encouragement and inspiration. It is a blessing to be in daily contact with you where I can see these qualities. You are one of my reminders that God brought me to Russellville for a reason. I am thankful to call you a friend and mentor. Your mere presence is enough to push me to become a better person. Now that you have found your calling, I know that God will provide you with all of the needed motivation, strength, and support to see this through. I understand how difficult it can be to keep up with daily things such as writing when we live in such as fast-paced society but remember that feeling you received when you prayed for that was and will be your purpose. This and your faith in God's plan will help you to persevere. God never gives you more that you can handle so you will be able to blog as well as keep up with your duties as educator, wife, and mother. I wish that more people had access to writings such as yours because we all need a little reminder from time to time of the power of God. It makes me so sad to see people who swim in God's daily blessings but are so ungrateful. I say keep up the great work and hopefully more people will stop turning a blind eye.

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    1. Joanna,

      I am treasuring your words. I am thankful for your friendship, and I enjoy having a kindred spirit just across the hall. Thank you for your encouragement and support.

      Erin
      P.S. Your grandfather sounds a lot like mine. I bet they are great buddies in Heaven, and enjoy watching their girls teach together! :)

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